The Blind Prince
by L.S-Tifa
Summary: Itachi Uchiha is a young prince in the kingdom of Konoha with a condition that leaves him sightless. At the urging of his parents, he begins to meet potential wives, but seems to scare all but one away... ITACHIXTENTEN Itaten AU itachi tenten Mature
1. Chapter 1

So I've decided to take on another endeavor. My other projects have slightly flalen through, so I'm excited about this one. This is just kind of a short giving you a brief idea about what this fic is a prologue. This is far from the Naruto world, and instead an enchanted medieval time, where the Uchiha family reigns supreme as the beloved royal family of Konoha.

I DO NOT OWN NARUTO

Alternate Universe (AU)

The Blind Prince

Chapter 1: prologue

* * *

Itachi Uchiha had not been born without sight, in fact as a young child he could see quite well. He enjoyed things that typical young boys enjoyed, playing outside, pestering his little brother, and terrorizing the kingdom as any young prince would. He was seemingly happy, carefree and kind hearted until the day he was diagnosed with a degenerative eyesight disease.

"Get back here you little brat! That's mine!" Itachi yelled as he raced down the hall of the third floor in their immaculate domain. The marble floors echoing sounds of their feet stomping rapidly as they raced.

"No! Ya can't catch me, Nisan!" His younger brother, Sasuke, chimed as he continued to run.

Suddenly, his vision blurred, and Itachi grew increasingly dizzy as his little brother's figure blended into the walls and every other surrounding. He slowed just a little, but it wasn't enough, he lost his bearings and ran headfirst into a large pillar and fell backward, completely unconscious.

Many doctors from afar were paid to take a look at the young prince, to see f there was anything to be done to save his continually deteriorating eyesight. But none had any answers, only to expect his blindness to completely set in by the age of eighteen, and that is where the story begins.

* * *

The tall, raven haired boy slowly made his way down the hallway after exiting his bed room, fairly used to his surroundings. He stepped to his right, remembering the small display with the porcelain vase that was irreplaceable, and dodged the item by memory.

"Young prince, can I help you?" A servant called out to him as she rushed to his side.

"No, dammit. I'm fine. I know where I'm going, so leave me!" He barked, continuing to walk slowly toward the dinning hall. He was good at navigating the area, after running into everything dozens of times, you learn where everything is and how to avoid it. His parents had moved him onto the first floor of the home so that he didn't hurt himself because of his condition. He could sometimes make out the shapes around him, but never faces. Sometimes he saw a few bits of color, but he had long since forgotten what true colors really were.

"Ah, Itachi." His mother's voice cooed from the dining area. She rushed to her son and put her hands gently on his, warning him that she was right in front of him before embracing him tightly "Happy birthday, my boy. I can't believe you're finally of age."

He sighed and hugged his mother back, obviously he was not nearly as enthralled as she.

"That's right, you're a man now." His father, Fugaku stated, joining the two.

"Getting old, Nisan!" Sasuke teased, poking his brother in the ribs playfully.

Itachi flinched in surprise before yanking away from his mother and growling. "Just because I can't see you, doesn't mean I don't know where you are." He warned as he used his other senses to scan the area. He heard a tiny squeak of the floor to his right, and he lunged in it's direction, grabbing hold of his little brother and ruffling his hair.

"Ah!" Sasuke yelped. "Let go!" The younger Uchiha boy wiggled in defense, but dared not strike his brother.

Itachi chuckled darkly before releasing the little pest With a smirk. "You're such a baby."

"Itachi, that is not the way a young prince should behave." His mother, Mikoto warned, her voice laced with sternness.

"Especially one who is soon to be betrothed." His father added.

"Betrothed?!" Itachi exclaimed, casting his gaze in the direction. _Who in their right mind would marry someone like me?_

"Why yes, you'll start meeting potential wives today." His mother informed.

'

* * *

"Where is Tenten?" Lord Momochi asked one of his servants as he passed through his gardens that were being tended to.

"Oh my Lord," the servant bowed her head in reverence of her master. "She should've been at her etiquette lesson. Is she not?"

"No, she is not!" The man boomed in response.

"I'm sorry I'm late, father!" The young brunette girl said as she rushed down the garden pathway and stopped in front of her father. Her hair was disheveled and there was dirt smudged on her cheek, it appeared as though she had been up to something she shouldn't.

"When will you ever learn, child? You are a young lady, you should not be out adventuring off on your own, doing what you please and acting as one of the boys!" Her father Zabuza scolded firmly.

"But father, I-"

"Do not argue with me! Get inside, you're late for your lesson." He ordered.

Without another word, the young woman rushed inside her palace and straight up to her room obediently. Ever since her mother passed away when she was young, she always searched to find her place. And in that process she realized that she was a young woman with ambition, who wanted to do whatever made her happy. She loved adventure, and danger. Anything they exhilarated her. But when it came to her father, there was just no room for it.

Tenten was a stubborn girl, and she didn't care of anyone's opinion about her, with the exception of her father's. She simply hated it when he disapproved of something she had done, though whatever he wanted her to do was the opposite of what she wanted. She was not the girly-girl that he had hoped for. She was more like the boys, stubborn, playful and fun.

Alas, she was torn. Her father had her whole future planned out for her. She would be meeting suitors soon, and her life would be over.


	2. Chapter 2

Hi there! I'm sorry for the little delay. I hope you all are enjoying so far! I'm glad to see I have a few followers and faithful reviewers. That is greatly appreciated.

I DO NOT OWN NARUTO

The Blind Prince

AU

Chapter 2: freedom does not exist

* * *

Despite his protests, the young prince anxiously awaited the arrival of the first potential "bride", seated in the banquet hall while his parents were greeting the young lady and her family.

He didn't want this, he detested the idea of surrendering to some woman who would provably just pity him and treat him like a helpless child. He could take care of himself. Even though he could hardly see a thing, he never asked for help from anyone, determined he could do things on his own.

"Please, Miss Haruno, right this way." Mikoto cooed gently and walked a young peculiar pink haired girl into the banquet hall where her eldest son awaited.

Itachi heard them coming, and tensed at the thought. If he was honest with himself, he would admit that he was nervous, but he was almost never honest with any feelings he had whatsoever. When he heard their footsteps grow closer and then suddenly cease, he knew that his mother and the first girl had arrived.

Politely, he stood and bowed just a little, with one arm folded across his chest, and the other behind his back. "Hello."

Mikoto smiled fondly at her son before introducing the two. "Miss Haruno, this is my son, Prince Itachi. Itachi, this is Miss Sakura Haruno. Please take a moment to get to know one another." She instructed kindly before taking her exit.

"H-hello." The girl said meekly. She looked upon the strange man and blinked. _Is he really blind? My he is so handsome. _She thought inwardly.

"Please, sit down." He stated, having not heard her do so. He gestured to what he hoped would be the chair nearest his before he sat.

The young girl sat and stared at him in wonder. "Wow, if I didn't know I- I would've have suspected you couldn't see anything."

Itachi's eyebrow twitched and he desperately tried not to make a snide remark, but before he could, the girl continued.

"Were you born like that, or?"

He had snapped, growling, he trend his gaze to the direction of her voice and glared at her. "No, I wasn't. My parents tortured me as a young boy, and I ended up losing my sight."

"Wh-what?" The girl trembled, completely in shock.

"Oh that's right." He said with a smirk as he leaned back in his chair. "What have you heard of me?"

"I-I've heard that you're incredibly handsome, b-but some say that you.. Well.."

"That I am a monster? A bakemono?"

"Yes." She whispered, looking down even though she knew he could not see he remorse that she felt.

"Well they're right. You're waisting your time here! Get out! Now!" He boomed, standing to his feet and slamming his palms on the table with force.

Sakura stood just as quickly and rushed out of the room in tears.

And so he continued to tell each young girl horror stories about himself, and about the kingdom. He only wished he could see their expressions to go along with their terrified reactions. He could hear them squirm as he went into detail about how he either took his own eyesight by stabbing needles into his eyeballs, or how he was hexed by a witch or sorceress. One young girl named Hinata had even passed out. After that he felt a tiny hint of guilt, but sabotaging his parent's plans to marry him off turned out to be so much more enjoyable than he could ever imagine.

* * *

"Look, if your dad says you shouldn't be out here.." Tenten's closest companion, Lee said worriedly as the two sparred in a nearby field.

"Lee, don't be such a wet noodle." The bun-haired girl frowned deeply and crossed her arms in disapproval.

She and Lee had been close friends since they were merely toddlers. Tenten's father was a Lord in Kirigakure, and Lee's father, Maito Gai, was a traveling entertainer who happened to enthrall Tenten's father. He and his son were asked to stay in Kirigakure. Maito Gai was also a very skilled fighter in something called "Tai-jutsu". He began to teach Zabuza, and Tenten learned secretly with her friend, Lee.

Lee was always cheerful and very spirited. Enthusiastic and very strange, the boy and his father looked very much alike. They wore green tunics on a daily basis and their hair was very dark and thick, much like their eyebrows. They enjoyed life to the fullest, and always had a positive word of encouragement for their friends.

"Alright, alright." Lee chuckled and have his friend a smile. "Let's try that last move again, okay Tenten?"

* * *

"Itachi Uchiha!" Mikoto's voice echoed angrily through the corridors of the home, finding it's way to said boy.

Itachi knew then that he had been caught, no use running. He wasn't very fast, though his body was very healthy, without being able to see it was a risk to take off running, he may injure himself. So he stayed where he was quietly until his mother's footsteps grew closer.

He could tell she was very angry with him by the way she stomped up to him and stopped. He could also tell that she had her hands on her hips by the jangle of her bracelets. Her glare was so intense he could feel it, the air in the room was thick and tense. "Just what do you think you are doing, son?!"

He shrugged in response, not bothering to speak.

"You scared nearly every young and available woman in this kingdom away! What am I to do?! Your father is so livid he won't even speak to you!" Mikoto exclaimed.

Now her arms were crossed, he heard her shuffling about. "Marry Sasuke off." he replied, nonchalantly.

"You know I cannot do that until _you_ are married. That's the wah things are, Itachi not would be untraditional for the younger prince to marry first. Like it or not, you are the one to be ruler, not him. It's time you got serious about who you are!"

"No." He turned away from her voice, hoping to escape.

"Look at me when I talk to you, Itachi!" She commanded.

This made him angry. Itachi stood to his feet and did his best to look at the woman who demanded his full attention. "I _can't_ look at you! I can't _see_ you!" He exclaimed. "You tend to forget that!"

Mikoto regretted the statement as soon as she uttered it, but there was no way to reach out and grab the words so she could quickly stuff them back into her mouth. She sighed quietly and touched her son's arm gently. "I'm so sorry."

Itachi flinched and pulled away. "You will never understand, so don't pretend to be sorry."

* * *

"How many times do I have to scold you, Tenten?!" Lord Momochi exclaimed as he drug his daughter away from the field she had been 'playing' in, and headed toward the palace with her. "You are a young woman of honor and integrity. You shouldn't be.." He sighed, so exasperated and tired of telling her the same things over and over.

Tenten did her best to keep up with her father's long strides as he briskly walked her back home. _Why is he always like this? _She pondered to herself. "Why is this so important to you, father?"

Zabuza came to a sudden stop and he released his grip on his daughter's arm. "Tenten," he started, "I want you to be the best young woman you can be, so one day you catch the eye of someone important. You won't have to work your way up to royalty, but you will _be_ royalty."

"Father, what if that's not what I want?" She looked up at her towering father with pleading eyes.

"One day, it will be. Now get inside, you have a violin lesson. Go." He pushed her gently toward the door of their palace.


	3. Chapter 3

Wow, wow, wow! Hey thanks so much for the reviews! Ah I'm so excited to hear from you all. Please continue to review it means the world to me. Glad to know there are other Itaten fans out there. Xoxox

I DO NOT OWN NARUTO

AU

The Blind Prince

Chapter 3: we met

* * *

Mikoto faced her husband, Fugaku in despair, a look of trouble blanketing her face. "Every possible bride in the kingdom is either suddenly unavailable, or he's scared them away! They run out of the palace in complete terror." She folded her arms and sat down on the edge of their large and plush bed.

Her husband sighed and ran his hand through his dark locks, deep in thought. "What if we reached out to another kingdom? Somewhere that's not too far off?"

"Certainly the rumors of what he's done haven't spread very far yet..." The weary woman thought aloud.

"I cannot believe our boy is tarnishing our name. He is an Uchiha, he shouldn't be acting like such an imbecile." His anger began to rise, but his wife comforted him with a soft embrace.

"I know, but he's young, and he's untrusting of these young women. You, me and Sasuke are all he's had. He's not used to the outside world, and he's afraid to let someone else inside his own world."

The king nodded to his wife, and his expression softened. I suppose I shouldn't be so hard on him." He started as he stroked her cheek. "I shall reach out to Kirigakure tomorrow first thing in the morning."

"I hear good things about the women there." Mikoto encouraged.

* * *

"My Lady!" A familiar female voice called, urgently.

Tenten felt a pair of strong hands grip her shoulders and begin to shake her gently. Her chocolate eyes snapped open and she gasped, being ripped away from her slumber. She looked up, noticing her maid servant, Kurenai staring down at her with a large and eager smile plastered onto her face.

"You have been chosen to meet the prince of Konohagakure!" She exclaimed.

Tenten sat up in her bed abruptly. "What? A-A.. a prince?" Her dark eyes widened as she tried to make sense of the words that had been spoken to her.

"Yes!" Kurenai yanked the blankets off of the girl and grabbed her hands. With one swift motion, she pulled Tenten to her feet and rushed her to her wardrobe. "We must get you ready! Your father is so elated."

Her mind was whirling with thousands of thoughts and scenarios, but the one thing she couldn't put out of her mind was the fact that she was merely seventeen years of age. Meeting a prince meant the possibility of marriage, and if Tenten was honest, she knew wasn't ready.

"W-what's his name?" She managed to ask while Kurenai continued to raid her wardrobe.

"His name is Prince Itachi Uchiha."

* * *

"You must realize that this is a last resort, son." Fugaku said firmly as he adjusted hus son's black over jacket. "We had to reach out to the kingdom of Kirigakure.

Itachi defensively pushed his father's hands away. "Had to? You don't _have_ to marry me off like this, and I don't need your help dressing myself." He growled,angrily.

"Who will run the kingdom when I am no longer able to?" His father put his arms down and sighed heavily, looking at his son with saddened eyes. It broke his heart to know that his eldest son he had once been so proud of, regretfully had no interest jn becoming the fine king that Fugaku knew he could be.

"Sasuke." Was Itachi's short and agitated response.

"Sasuke is the youngest, and the people of Konohagakure would look down upon that situation." His father started. "This is your responsibility, like it or not."

"I do not like it." Itachi turned away from his father and frowned deeply. _When will they understand that this is foolishness?! _

"That doesn't matter now. What matters is that you prepare yourself. This is your last shot, or we will be forced to arrange a marriage for you."

_Should I ever have a son of my own, I will never make him do this._ He thought to hinself as he listened to his father'a footsteps grow more and more distant.

* * *

"No, no buns today." Kurenai stopped Tenten from putting her hair up in it's usual fashion. "Look." She said as she turned the young girl to the mirror.

Tenten's hair cascaded down her shoulders and stopped right before her waist in thick and large waves. Her dress was a deep maroon color with white colored trim and it hung to the floor. The bottom length was pleated and the top was fitted in a corset style with filigree designs all about it.

"O-oh.. Wow." Tenten didn't even recognize herself as she looked upon her reflection with awe and wonder.

"You know." Came a familiar voice from her window. "It doesn't matter how beautiful you are, he won't be able to see you." Lee said as he climbed through her window.

Kurenai rushed to him and swatted him on the head. "Spying?! You little-"

"Kurenai, it's quite alright." Tenten said as she walked up to her maid servant and friend. "What do you mean, Lee?"

"Well I heard my dad talking to yours about who it is you're going to meet today." He replied as he rubbed his head and frowned.

"So, who is he then? What's wrong?"

"He is the blind prince."

* * *

"Why do they have to force this upon me?" Itachi confided in his brother as he awaited for the young woman of Kirigakure to arrive.

"Nisan, you are going to be the king. Stop being so afraid if change. Most of the young women are beautiful and you're scaring them away." Sasuke replied as he patted his brother on the back.

"Do you think that beauty matters to me?" Itachi snapped at his brother's ignorance.

Sasuke sighed and shrugged. "Guess not. Just try to be kinder to this one, our parents will be livid if you ruin this."

"I understand." Itachi lied. He had every intention of telling this young girl the exact same thing he had told every other girl that his parents forced upon him.

Just then, the doors to the banquet hall swung open and he heard the sound of footsteps approaching him. Like always, he did stand and bow politely. "Hello." He spoke, routinely.

"Hello." Came an unfamiliar voice.

She was the first female to speak before his mother had the chance to introduce. He then felt a soft hand grip his and shake it briefly. He was quite surprised and his eyes widened just a little when he felt her touch him.

"My name is Tenten Momochi, it is a pleasure to meet you."

Itachi was a little stunned to say the least. None of the other young ladies had been so bold as to introduce themselves, let alone have the boldness to _touch_ him.

"Well, looks like you've got things here. I'll take my leave then." Mikoto smiled to herself and walked away, excited about this new potential bride. She seemed different than all the rest.

Itachi cleared his throat, after shaking off the shock, and motioned for this 'Tenten' to take a seat. "Please, sit." He said.

Tenten did as she was told and looked at Itachi carefully as he sat. He seemed very comfortable with his surroundings, which told her he must've been blind for some time, but that's not what caught her eye. His fair skin and dark hair complimented each other quite well, and his facial features were strong and chiseled, making him look a bit older than he actually was. She was captivated by how handsome he was.

"Tell me, what have you heard about me? Have you heard that I am no more than a monster?" He inquired, waiting for her response.

"Yes I have." She answered simply.

He couldn't detect an ounce of fear in her voice, and to some degree this agitated him. "Then you have heard that this kingdom is far from what it seems, that my family likes to torture innocent young ladies such as yourself. In fact, they began their torturous experiments on me."

"Hm. What a shame." She responded, coldly.

His eyebrow twitched, he knew that she knew he was lying through his teeth. The first one to see through his charade. "You know I'm not telling the truth."

"I do. You are foolish, prince, to think I am so dense as to believe some horror story you conjured up to get yourself out of this mess." Tenten responded.

Something about this girl truly intrigued him, and irritated him all at once. He couldn't play his games with her, but he longed to hear more from her. "So then, what do you think of me?"

"I think you are striking, but I also think you are afraid." She responded. "You mustn't let your lack of vision prevent you from seeing the truth about yourself. "

"I know the truth about myself." His walls of defense were crackling, and he was desperately trying to keep them up, but he was failing. "I know that no woman would ever truly wish to be with someone such as myself, so there is no use in trying."

Itachi's eyes enlarged and he leaned back in his chair in surprise after he felt her palm make swift and firm contact with his cheek. "How dare you speak that about yourself." Tenten started. "I will not pity you, but I will tell you that you sell yourself quite short, prince."

He blinked, so amazed and shocked that he could hardly breath. He felt his heart rate increase and he slowly stood to his feet. "You may leave." He muttered.

He heard her chair scoot backward against the floor, followed by her footsteps head toward the doors. Shortly after, his mother rushed into the room.

"What happened?" His mother inquired, looking at the red mark across her son's face.

"Bring her back tomorrow. I'd like to speak with her again." He replied as he gently touched the place where she had struck him.


	4. Chapter 4

I love you all. That's all I have to say today. Enjoy!

I DO NOT OWN NARUTO

AU

The Blind Prince

Chapter 4: Denial and Pity

* * *

The young brunette girl stepped out of the carriage that had taken her all the way to Konohagakure for seemingly no good reason at all, despite the fact that the man she met was intriguing, dark, handsome and very mysterious. She rolled her eyes at the thought and marched herself inside, where she was immediately bombarded with questions thrown at her from Kurenai and her father.

"How did it go?" Her father inquired.

"What was he like?!" Kurenai beamed.

"Tenten what happened? Did you capture his interest?"

"Sweetie, say something!"

"Don't expect anything to come of me meeting that strange boy!" Tenten exclaimed after hearing enough of the prodding from the two eager adults.

"Strange?" Kurenai looked at Tenten with concern in her eyes.

"Tenten, this is very important, that kingdom is highly respected and very wealthy, should you marry into such a kingdom, you would never have to worry about anything so long as you live." Zabuza informed, looking upon his daughter with pleading eyes.

"Just give me a minute to think about everything instead of attacking me wit's several questions and statements all at once, please!" Tenten cried as she rushed up to her room.

Zabuza was about to rush after her when Kurenai stopped him. "Let her be for a bit, she'll be more likely to speak to us once she's cooled off."

* * *

"So..." Came Sasuke's voice as he walked into Itachi's room shortly after the young girl had taken her leave. "She didn't leave crying, so that's a good sign, right?"

"Get out of my room." Itachi hissed as he turned his gaze to face the sound of his little brother's voice. He sat comfortably on his bed, but inside he was very uncomfortable. The girl he had met had sparked some strange feelings within him, and he was trying to figure those out before his pest of a brother came along.

"You liked her, didn't you?" Sasuke said, as he took a seat next to his older brother.

"Not at all. She was a disrespectful little brat with an attitude. She would be a terrible wife." Itachi frowned and clasped his hands together.

"That why you're bringing her back tomorrow?" Sasuke smirked and gently poked his brother in the side.

Itachi swatted Sasuke's hand away, angrily. "Quit that!" He barked.

Sasuke merely chuckled and lay back on the bed, relaxing. "You _did_ like her." He smirked to himself.

"No, I did not. I'm bringing her back to set her straight and demand respect."

"You're bringing her back because she _intrigued_ you. Don't lie to yourself." Sasuke warned as he sat back up.

* * *

She stripped herself of her heavy dress and changed into simple fitted pants and a tunic before throwing her hair up into it's rightful buns. After this, Tenten threw her window open and leapt out without batting an eye.

Once she hit the ground she took off running toward the fields where she knew her friend would be waiting. And he was. He sat comfortably underneath a tree, seeming to be talking with a small furry creature.

"What is that?" Tenten asked, causing the small animal to run away in fear and squeak while doing so.

"That was a squirrel, Tenten." Lee joked as he stood to his feet. "How did meeting the prince go? Was he handsome? Nice at least?"

Tenten folded her arms across her chest and frowned in exasperation. "He was very rude, and full of himself. But more than that, he's afraid of people I think."

"So it didn't go well then?" Lee frowned. "I'm sorry."

Tenten shrugged. "Whatever. It is what it is. Let's train!"

* * *

"He's asked for her to return." Mikoto informed her husband as she walked into his study.

Fugaku looked up from his book and smiled at his wife. "Really? So he liked this young girl?"

"I suppose so." Mikoto sighed happily and circled around the large desk, wrapping her arms around Fugaku from behind and laying her head on his shoulder.

"This is good news." Fugaku said before chuckling at his wife's actions. "Do you think she will return? Does she feel the same about Itachi?"

Mikoto pulled away. "We will certainly find out, won't we?"

* * *

"My lady." Kurenai sat on Tenten's bed with her arms crossed and brows were narrowed as she watched the young girl climb through her window.

Tenten straddled the threshold of the window and looked at Kurenai with pleading eyes of guilt. "H-hello Kurenai.."

"Just what are you doing? Are you sneaking out to meet some secret lover?" Kurenai grabbed Tenten's arm and pulled her all the way into the room before closing the window.

"Well, no. Lee is certainly not my lover. He's madly in love with a pink-haired princess he saw once while traveling."

"Tenten what on earth are you doing? I thought you just needed a minute to think, instead I find out you're out doing the things your father asked you specifically not to."

"I know, I know but-"

"Do not give me any excuses. Now tell me how this prince was." The maid servant sat down on the bed and patted the place next to her.

Sighing, Tenten obliged and looked at Kurenai silently.

"Okay, well was he handsome?"

"Yes," Tenten replied. _Very_. She thought to herself.

"Polite?"

"At first."

"Was he really blind?" Kurenai couldn't help but ask. It had been plaguing her mind and she was desperate to know.

"If you didn't know he was blind at the start, you may not know. His eyes are not blue, and not glazed over like those of a normal blind person. Their coloring is dark, darker than night."

"Seems like you spent some time staring into those dark eyes of his." Kurenai smirked.

Tenten his a blush and she frowned deeply. "I only noticed because... Gah, what else do you want to know? I'm tired and I want to go to sleep."

"Well it's fitting you should get some rest, the carriage driver had a note from the queen asking you to return tomorrow. Seems you really impressed this prince."

* * *

"Well, don't you look dapper, Nisan. Why are you so dressed up, do you intend to propose today?" Sasuke teased his older brother who was dressed in fine clothing. Almost nice enough for a ball. He had a white flowing shirt on with a dark burgundy vest atop it, and dark pants to finish. His hair was back like usual, away from his face but a few strands fell loosely around it. "the colors match." He teased.

Itachi tried not to let what his idiot brother said get to him. "Shut the hell up." He growled.

"Little miss attitude is on her way from Kirigakure right now, I'm sure."

"Hm." Itachi replied as he headed to the banquet hall where he would meet her again. He turned his back on Sasuke and made his way down the familiar hallways on his own. The silence they rang through the area was so unbelievably loud and he could almost hear his heartbeat. _She's on her way from Kirigakure._ He pondered to himself, finally arriving to his desired destination.

It felt like ages, though only a few moments later he heard one pair of footsteps approach him. He could tell that they were not from anyone he was familiar with.

"Hello." Came her voice, the one that he was beginning to relish hearing.

"Miss Tenten." He said, gesturing to the chair across from him.

She sat and looked at him carefully, not sure if she should comment on how nice he looked or not. Her attire wasn't much different than the day before, though her dress was dark green, rather than maroon. It didn't matter much, seeing as how this prince could not see her.

"I see that my actions didn't leave any permanent damage on your face." She finally said.

He smiled, "I wouldn't know, though the pain still lingers." He teased.

"Tell me why you asked for me to return." She demanded, crossing her arms and waiting to hear his response.

"Because you are different than the rest." He admitted. He could feel his cheeks began to grow warm, though he hoped that the blush was not visible to her.

But it had been, and in turn, the young brunette girl blushed as well. She was more than thankful that he could not see her at the time. "How so?" She inquired.

"Obviously I don't frighten you." He responded.

"And?" She prodded.

"Because you haven't felt sorry for me once. You made that quite clear yesterday."

"Should I pity a man who has everything he needs and more?" Tenten inquired.

"Only when he longs to see your face, and never can."


	5. Chapter 5

Hi! huge love and thanks to all of my readers and even more so to my reviewers. I love you. I can't believe that this has become so popular so fast! :D I'm flattered by your kindness! Enjoy.

I DO NOT OWN NARUTO

AU

The Blind Prince

Chapter 5: Thief

* * *

_Only when he longs to see your face, and never can._ Tenten replayed the mysterious Prince's words over and over in her mind as she sat in the carriage that was heading back to her home. At the time he had made the statement, Tenten was more than surprised. She was taken aback, and hardly had a response to give him.

She let out a long and heavy sigh and wondered to herself if the prince would request to meet with her again. If she was honest with herself, deep down, she _wanted_ him to want to see her again. However, Tenten was far from admitting if she had any sort of stirrings or feelings about or for the young prince, and as far as those around her were concerned, he was strange and rather bizarre, and she only obliged to seeing him because it pleased her father.

When the carriage finally came to a halt, she was assisted out and she headed to the entrance of her palace, so deeply wedged in her own thoughts. _How dare he take over my mind like this, what tricks he plays! _She frowned, thinking to herself.

"Tenten." Came her father's voice in the background of all the noise her mind was creating. This caused her to be jolted from those thoughts and she looked up, noticing her father standing in the entrance of their home with an inquisitive look upon his face. "How was today's meeting with the prince?"

"I'm not sure these should be called 'meetings' , however, it was.. different." She informed before shrugging her shoulders.

Zabuza let out an exasperated sigh. "So I take it the two of you aren't quite getting along as well as I'd hoped?"

"At this point, father, it's a little hard to tell." Tenten replied.

"Well, perhaps then you will meet someone three nights from now."

"And what exactly is happening three nights from now?"

"Konogagakure is hosting their 15th annual Harvest Ball." He began, "there will be other available princes attending."

"And Prince Itachi, will he be attending?" Tenten inquired.

"It's hard to say. His parents are hosting this year, I assume that they'll have him make some sort of appearance."

* * *

Mikoto had been trying to convince Itachi to attend their upcoming Ball, and the day had snuck up on them sooner than expected. Though he had continually refused, she thought it would be worth one last try.

She walked quietly into his room and knelt down, she gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "Wake up, Itachi." She cooed.

Itachi groaned quietly, and ignored her.

"Today is the day of the Harvest Ball..."

This time his response was silence.

"Son, you must go." Itachi's mother urged her eldest child. "I heard that miss Tenten will be attending." She said, quirking an eyebrow.

"Itachi's eyes snapped open from his pretend slumber and he sat up slowly. "What was that?" He questioned curiously.

Mikoto chuckled quietly at her son, her heart was warmed by the fact that he had taken such a liking to the young girl. Just when she had nearly given up on him finding someone. "That's right, she will. I know you don't like crowds, and I promise you'll be fine. Sasuke will help you."

"I don't need his help, I'll be fine." Itachi replied defensively as he stood to his feet, slowly.

"Okay. Does this mean you'll attend?" His mother prodded, looking upon her boy with large and hopeful eyes.

"I suppose so." He replied with a nod.

"I suggest you get ready then, Itachi." Mikoto urged before taking her leave.

* * *

Tenten set foot into the palace that was normally quite empty, with the exception of the king, queen and two princes. This time, it was swarming with people from all over the surrounding kingdoms, all clad in autumn colors, creating a beautiful scene.

Gorgeous music played loudly as pairs danced across the floor, and Tenten began to feel nervous and very small. This was not her normal setting, not one bit. She could certainly handle herself when she was one on one with nearly anyone she faced, but crowds were a bit much for her to handle.

But she pushed the fears aside and walked through the crowd, Her dress flowing with each step that she took. She began to search for the mysterious prince, since she knew they he couldn't find her. At first she thought she might have seen him, all dressed in white, but she was very mistaken when the man turned around and faced her.

His hair was long, black and thick much like Itachi's but his eyes were white as snow, and his face a bit more round. Once mistaken man had caught glimpse of Tenten his eyes widened and he smiled. "Well hello there." He said before bowing graciously.

"H-hello." Tenten did her best to sound polite, but this man was hindering her from finding Itachi.

"You certainly are lovely." He said, bluntly and pointed out her lovely red and orange gown.

"And you certainly want to stand out, don't you?"

"Hm." He smirked in response.

Just then, Tenten spotted the queen, kind and two princes emerge from atop a large stair case. She smiled when she noticed how handsome Itachi looked. It seemed as though they coordinated their colors to match, even though Tenten knew that Itachi wouldn't have been able to tell.

The four made their way down the stair case elegantly, and Itachi seemed to so just fine. He took his time, each step was calculated, but he never missed one. Immediately after the crowd stopped applauding them, his younger brother dashed into the crowd, and Tenten noticed Itschi tense when his presence had gone missing.

"Pardon me." She said to the man in all white before walking up to the beautiful family of royalty. She bowed deeply and smiled her finest smile, though she hadn't a clue why she felt he sudden urge to impress them.

"Ah, miss Tenten!" Mikoto spoke loud enough for Itachi to know she was there.

"Your Majesties." She replied, standing from her bow.

"Why don't we let the two alone, dear. Shall we dance?" Fugaku took the hand of his beloved wife and lead her to the dance floor, leaving Tenten and Itachi alone.

"Hello, strange prince." Tenten stated.

"Hello, stubborn girl." He replied, hoping he was at least facing her.

Tenten, sensing his uneasiness, took his hands gently, this caused Itachi to gasp quietly. _Why am I acting like this toward him?_ She pondered to herself, almost scolding.

"I wasn't sure you would come." He stated finally grabbing hold of her hands as well. "I still am unsure what you even look like."

"Well, what let'a dance, and you can guess more about me?" She giggled and began to lead him to the dance floor.

He was afraid, so his body tensed and stiffened, but because he was so curious to know more about her, he followed. He had been nervously awaiting for the time to arrive when he may run into her this evening, and he hadn't expected it to come so soon. Her actions had surprised him so far, but then again, this girl was always so full of surprised. It made him chuckle that she hadn't asked him to dance like a proper lady should, she told him they would be dancing.

The pair came to a stop on the dance floor, and though Tenten could tell that most eyes were on them, Itachi could only imagine.

"Have you taken lessons?" Tenten sarcastically asked when she noticed Itschi standing perfectly still.

"Oh many, I'm the best dancer around." He joked in return.

"Just follow my lead. I'll make sure we don't bump into anyone." She assured as she delicately took his left hand in her right and raised it up, she then took his right hand and placed it on her hip, and placed her left hand on his right shoulder.

He hadn't realized she would be so petite, he let go of her hand and felt around for her head, and when he found it, he gently patted the top of it. "You're so small." He stated, a smile spread across his face.

Tenten blushed, Embarrassed. "I'm not that small, you just happen to be quite a tall man." She replied before grabbing his hand once more. Gently, she tugged the man in her direction and slowly they began to dance. In all honesty, he was not a bad dancer at all. His movements were fluid and very well timed with the beat of the music.

If anything, Tenten struggled a bit to keep up with him, while avoiding other pairs on the dance floor. "Tell me, what do you think I might look like, in your deepest imagination."

Itachi thought for a moment, considering her question. "It is hard for me to tell. It isn't very easy to come up with ideas." He frowned just a little as the music slowed.

Tenten, too frowned before an idea came to mind. "Could we, go outside?" She inquired curiously as she stopped their dancing.

"You'll have to lead, but I don't have any rules keeping me inside." He gave her a light chuckle.

"Then we shall." Tenten took his hand firmly and lead him outside the palace to a secluded garden area that was well maintained and absolutely stunning. She stopped in front of a bench and stood there, looking up at the prince. As she did, her heart rate slowly accelerated.

"So I assume we are outside. It's so quiet." He stated, taking in the surroundings using his other senses.

"We are." She replied. "I want to try something."

"Dear little Tenten, if you think that having sex outside is a good idea, I'm afraid you're mistaken." He teased.

She had yet to see this surprisingly perverted side of the prince. And if she was thankful he hadn't seen her blush before, she was extremely thankful for it now. "That is definitely not what I had in mind!" She scolded as she swatted his hand.

He only chuckled and gave her a smirk. "What is it you want to try?"

Tenten frowned. "I'm having second thoughts about that now."

"I'm sorry." The prince said with sincerity. "I was teasing you. I like your reactions."

"You are nothing but a trickster." She folded her arms.

"And you, I just cannot figure out." He replied.

"I wonder if this might help." Tenten gently took his hands and placed them on her face. She felt ridiculous and stupid for doing it, but if he couldn't see her, maybe he could get an idea of what she looked like by feeling.

She saw the surprised look on his face, but he seemed to understand what she was trying to do. Softly, he felt her facial features, careful not to poke her in the eye. He noticed that her skin was very smooth and without blemish. Her face was oval shaped and her nose was small and rounded at the end, and her lips were full and round. Itachi imagined that she was very beautiful. He felt long, thick strands of hair around her face, and gently ran his fingers through the length to judge how long it was.

"You are a beautiful woman." He whispered, as he removed his hands from her face And leaned in close to her.

Her lips trembled and her heart ponded. "You're simply guessing." She whispered.

"Prove it to me, if I am wrong." He said, leaning closer.

"No." she said firmly.

"Why?" He frowned and pulled away.

"Because I know you are still unsure about me, and I'm unsure about you. After all, you're very strange." She blushed, fighting the urge to give the man what he wanted. Her lips which had been untouched by anyone else's.

"You are quite stubborn..." He whispered before stealing her first kiss like a thief.


	6. Chapter 6

Hi readers! Sorry for the little delay. Thanks so much for all of your kindness once more, you've humbled me and made me so thankful. I love you and appreciate you so much. Thanks for reading. -Tifa

I DO NOT OWN NARUTO

AU

The Blind Prince

Chapter 6: The Runaway- Part 1

* * *

The young Prince sat outside in the gardens where he had shared a kiss with the stubborn girl. He could feel the noon sun beaming down on his skin, keeping him from being too chilled by the light autumn breeze around him. He could hear the scratching and whirling of the leaves that had fallen from the trees above as they raced across the cobblestone in that autumn breeze. The hair around his face blew wildly, keeping it out of his face, which he appreciated.

He heaved a heavy sigh as he contemplated the evening before. He kissed the young girl, and she had made it quite clear afterward that he had stolen her first kiss. She was angry, but he couldn't help but laugh at her outburst. He could only imagine how cute she must've looked as she threw the small tantrum. He felt the bench beneath him before swinging his legs around, scooting down and laying down on his back. He imagined the sky was as blue as it used to be when he was a child, but it saddened him that he didn't remember what blue looked like.

Darkness had been what he knew, and saw, and felt. But when the stubborn, angry girl named Tenten had showed up into his life, the darkness didn't seem to engulf him any longer. Normal people would most likely assume that to be love, but the word sounded foreign to him, for he knew that it was much too soon to even consider it. Although his own behavior was beginning to feel foreign to him as well, which was also a symptom of what people would classify as love.

He shook his head. "I do not love her." He said aloud as he huffed out another sigh and rubbed his temples.

"I think ya do.." Came his little brother's voice from beside him. This startled Itachi, and he nearly lost his balance and fell off the bench, but he caught himself in time.

He had been so wrapped up in his thought, that he hadn't even heard his brother sneak up on him. When you lose a sense, your others become heightened, his ears were better than anyone else's around, so he frowned in defeat. "Sasuke! You Baka."

Sasuke erupted into laughter before making his brother sit up so he could join him on the bench. "I'm sorry. Must've been thinking a lot about that girl..." Sasuke paused for quite a while before continuing. "She's very pretty, Itachi."

"Hm." Itachi didn't feel much like discussing the young girl with his brother, though he was unsure why. He didn't want anyone speaking of her in that way.

"Did you kiss her?" Sasuke prodded, poking his brother's side, receiving a swat quickly.

"No." Itachi lied, not bothering to turn his face toward his brother's.

"Liar." Came his brother's short response. "You can lie to yourself all you want, I suppose. But I do have some news."

"And what's that, Baka?"

"I overheard our parents speaking. Apparently you are not the only prince that is interested in Tenten." Sasuke informed.

Now Itachi turned to face Sasuke with an inquisitive expression. "What?"

"It gets worse." Sasuke began, "apparently it is Neji Hyūga who spotted her last evening."

The Hyūga's were a rivaling kingdom on the opposite end of Konoha, and just as feared and respected as the Uchiha's. Itachi being older, had a slight advantage, but that advantage was diminished because of his lack of vision, at least in his own mind.

They did not like one-another, the Hyūgas and the Uchihas, and when Sasuke had told Itachi whom had also taken a shining to Tenten, he felt angry and threatened. "Dammit!" He boomed, standing to his feet and nearly knocking Sasuke backwards.

"Itachi, " Sasuke started after regaining his balance, "It's going to be fine. It's not as though he's going to propose to her right away. But this does mean that if you're serious about that girl, you should tell our parents, you can get to her first."

"Hm." Itachi nodded his head and began walking toward the doors of the palace slowly.

* * *

"A visitor? At this hour?" Tenten rubbed her weary chocolate eyes and sat up from her rather comfortable and plush bed they beckoned her to come back.

Her maidservant looked at her with a soft expression, smiling though something was underlying. Tenten couldn't pinpoint what it was, but she had a feeling her visitor was _not_ Itachi. He wasn't the type to travel and come after her.

"Who is it?" Tenten swung her legs over the ledge of the bed, dangling them for a moment before hopping down.

"His name is Prince Neji, Hyūga." Kirenai replied.

Tenten had gone to her closet and began to look through her clothing, she grabbed a simple brown colored gown, that was completely straight. It looked like it could be considered a night gown. She shrugged her shoulders and threw her night clothes to he floor and exchanged them for the brown piece of clothing she had put on. She then took her hair and began to tie it up in her signature dual buns.

"Tenten," Kurenai came up behind her and stopped her. "This is not a casual meeting."

Tenten whipped around and faced the brunette woman, dropping her hair in a cascade of chocolate waves. "What do you mean?

"H-" Kurenai could hardly stomach telling Tenten what she had to say. Especially after Tenten giggled and beamed about what had happened at the Ball. _Her first kiss. _"He's here to propose.

Tenten's dropped and she backed away. "What?" The young girl was in shock. How could someone who hadn't even known her, show up at her doorstep to propose. In her heart of hearts she may not want to admit it, she might have wanted Itachi to propose. Of course not any time soon. But in their world, they didn't have a lot of say when it comes to marriage. A girl was lucky if she had the opportunity to spend time with a Prince beforehand, much like she had with Itachi. She was inwardly praying that her father would not accept the proposal from this new Prince.

"Get something more formal on, Tenten."

"No." She said firmly as both of her fists balled up until her knuckles turned white. After her statement she rushed out of her room and down the stairs to face this man head on, barefoot and all, to tell him exactly what she thought of this surprise proposal.

"Tenten, dear." Her father said with a smile as he saw her walk toward the door, before ushering her under his arm. He walked her toward the man she had seen last night who had been all clad in white the night before.

"You." She muttered, drawing away from her father.

The ebony haired man with piercing ivory eyes smiled at her and bowed politely. "Yes, it is I. Glad to see you recognized me." He stood from his bow and offered his hand to her, so he could take hers and kiss it, but she refused. He shrugged her coldness off.

"This is Prince Hyūga, he's come for your hand in marriage, Tenten." Her father informed. "You should treat him as such, with respect."

"I will do no such thing. I have no intentions of marrying a man I hardly know. Especially not when I lov-" She caught herself. She hadn't expected those words to form on her lips so easily. "When I have my sights on someone else."

"Need I remind you, girl, that you are not the one who decides." The so-called Prince, Reminded her.

This angered Tenten, so much that she wanted to slap he smug look off of his pale face. She gritted her teeth and tried to hold back a comment.

"We have decided, Tenten, that this is the right arrangement for you. Prince Hyūga is your fiancée now." Her father gently nudged her in the direction of the menacing man.

With wide eyes and a shaking voice, she spoke. "I have not agreed to this!"

"You don't have to, miss Tenten. In time, you will understand." The prince spoke.

Without another thought, Tenten yanked herself away from her father, pushed past the prince and leapt over the threshold of the doors, bare and delicate feet slamming into the cobblestone. She didn't stop there, her legs began to move, and quickly at that. A brisk walk, soon turned into a sprint as she rushed away from her home. Instincts kicking in, she knew running to the fields was a bad idea. It was easy to be caught in a wide open area, so she hung a left and rushed into the thicket of woods, where the trees were so tall they blocked out most of the sunlight.


	7. Chapter 7

Hello wonderful readers. You're amazing. Hope you enjoy!

I DO NOT OWN NARUTO

AU

The Blind Prince

Chapter 7: The Runaway- Part 2

* * *

The runaway sat perched on a tree stump about two miles into the forest. Her feet were a bloody mess, having ran barefoot on the forest floor, she had done some damage. And couldn't hardly go much further either way. _I'm so foolish._ She scolded herself and tried to keep herself from shivering. "Dammit." She mumbed as she removed a small thorn from her aching foot.

It dawned on her then that she was alone in a relatively dangerous place, she hadn't even had any weapons on her, and her clothing was much less than adequate for a place like this. She sighed heavily, thing to map out her location, and how far away the Uchiha palace would be from where she was. Seemed as though it would probably take her another three hours. It wasn't bad, but it was dangerous, and her feet couldn't handle much more.

She really wasn't one to cry, but she was at a loss, exasperated and tired, and so sure enough, tears of defeat slid down her cheeks.

Just as soon as these tears had fallen, a cloud of white smoke began to rise from the ground directly in front of her, and a scarecrow rose from the smoke. It did not budge for a moment, but it had a peculiar face. the lower half was covered, and it's left eye covered as well. It had white prickly hair that was wild and unkempt, and tattered clothing.

Oddly enough, Tenten did not jump when it appeared, though she was a little startled by it's presence. She slowly rose to her feet and looked around to see if anyone had caused this strange and peculiar thing to pop out in front of her. Not seeing or hearing anything around her- she gently poked the scarecrow.

Once more, he did not budge. "Hello?" Tenten whispered quietly to it, knowing how foolish she must've looked by the way she felt.

Suddenly, in a second whirl of white smoke, the scarecrow began to transform. From stars to flesh, he became a man right before her very eyes.

This time she stumbled back, tripping over the stump she had been seated on previously. "Ah!"

The scarecrow reached out his arms and gripped her wrists, pulling her back upright. "There we are. Much better!" He chimed. His voice sounding cheery, yet mysterious.

"H-h.." Tenten gulped and tried to comprehend the fact that a scarecrow had just appeared before her, and she spoke to it. And it became a man.

"My name is Kakashi. I am forever grateful to you for having awakened me." He bowed to the girl, then noticing her feet. Quickly he took her in his arms, causing her to squeak before setting her down on the stump.

"I have a feeling that I _didn't_ awaken you. How else would you have suddenly appeared before me? I think there's a hole in your story there, mister scarecrow."

"Oh, but you did!" He said as he waved his gloved hands over her wounded feet. Warmth engulfed her feet as he emitted a green glowing light from his hands.

Her chocolate eyes enlarged as she watched him mend her bloodied feet with this strange magic. "What's that?" She whispered.

"Repayment." He stated before standing upright. "I'll be seeing you!" He said as he began to walk away.

"No, wait!" Tenten stood up quickly, still half-expecting the pain to be there, but so thankful that it wasn't. "Can you please help me?"

He turned around and walked back up to her, giving her what she assumed to be a smile. "Anything for a comrade."

"I need to get to the Uchiha palace, can you help me?" She inquired, the eagerness ever so evident in her voice. "Could you use the magic you used on my feet to get me there?"

"That, little girl, is an awfully big favor. And aside from that, I don't have much authority here in this forest. " he lowered his voice and drew incredibly close to Tenten. "That belongs to Lord Orochimaru, much like this forest."

"Lo-" She started before he hushed her and merely nodded.

"I will accompany you to the palace you seek, though I cannot use magic to get us there." He chimed.

"That'll do just fine, kind scarecrow."

* * *

"Master." A voice husked as a wary body walked into a dark den.

The darkness was pierced by a pair of snake-like eyes as the opened and rose, telling Kabuto that his master had heard him. "What is it?" Came the master's response.

"The scarecrow has been awakened." His voice trembled just a little.

"By whom!?" Boomed the master's angry voice.

Kabuto did not wish to reply to Lord Orochimaru, knowing his anger would be great, so he fell silent.

"Who was it, Kabuto?!" Orochimaru stepped into the light, eyes taking but a moment to adjust.

"It- It was Lady T-Tenten. She has run away from her palace a-after the Hyūga Prince proposed to her. She plans to find Prince Itachi." He stammered.

"Should she marry the Uchiha his curse will be broken, and his kingdom will rise. I will not stand for this! You must stop her!" Orochimaru hissed with a venom deadly enough to kill. "That damn little girl has gotten in my way, it's time that she Disappears."

"My Lord, isn't that a little cruel? What if we just cast a love spell upon she and the scarecrow?" His cowardly henchmen suggested, hoping to goodness that it didn't earn him a one way ticket to an early grave.

"You will do nothing of the sort! Aside from that if she is already in love with the Uchiha Prince, it will not work." Orochimaru boomed once more. "Just cut out the little wench's heart."

* * *

"What is it you so desperately wanted to speak to me about, son?" Fugaku asked his eldest boy, who sat waiting for him in his study.

ItachI turned his gaze to his father and stood. "I want to propose to the young woman I've been bringing to the palace. Her name is Tenten."

"Son that's spectacular news." His father smiled and walked to Itachi, putting a firm hand on his shoulder.

Itachi was smiling, he was happy. This sight was rare and his father was quite shocked, but he too was happy. "Do you approve?"

"Yes, Itachi, I do." He frowned. "However I received news not too long ago, that she's gone missing. This morning Prince Neji Hyūga proposed to her, and it's said that she ran away."

"What?!" Itachi grew panicked as he tried to digest the new information. " The young Hyūga bastard had proposed to _his_ Tenten. Itachi's assumption then was that she was trying to get to him. Since she had run, she must feel the same way he did, but he point was that she had gone missing. How could he find her if he couldn't see her?

"The Hyūgas have set out a search party, they are looking for her in the Forest of Death." His father informed sadly. "She's okay, I'm sure."

"We need to find her first, that Hyūga will not have her as his bride." Itachi commanded firmly.

Normally, Fugaku would've disagreed since this type of thing is what caused a feud between kingdoms, however, he had yet to see his son fight for anything, and he could see the potetial Itachi showed, he would make a great King after all. "We'll put together our own search party. We will find her first."

* * *

Kabuto had been watching the pair of strangers-turned-friends for some time, waiting for the right time to pounce on them and snatch away the young girl's heart. His stomach was flip-flopping and he couldn't bring himself to even think about raising a knife to her womanly form. She was lovely, a picture of independence and beauty wrapped in one.

He watched as the scarecrow took her hand and assisted her through rougher patches of terrain, and how she graciously thanked him for it. _She doesn't deserve death_. He resolved. It would only take a brief moment to conjure up a love spell.

A flick of the wrist, and the spell was cast. He watched the pair carefully with high hopes that his spell had worked so that he didn't have to resort to violence.

Tenten and Kakashi the scarecrow froze in their steps and looked upon each other with wide eyes...

* * *

**A/N:** To be continued


	8. Chapter 8

Hello, and Happy Halloween. Here's a treat. ;)

I DO NOT OWN NARUTO (I know, you know... That I'm not tellin' the truth... :3)

AU

The Blind Prince

Chapter 8: The Dark Lord

* * *

"Did you hear something, Mister Scarecrow?" Tenten inquired, quirking an eyebrow and seemingly unaffected by this new spell that Kabuto had attempted to cast.

The scarecrow shrugged. "Nope! Let's continue to find your prince, Lady Tenten." He chimed with a smile, taking the girl by the hand.

Kabuto sunk to the forest floor in defeat. He was certain it would work, but it was too late. Seemingly, Tenten was already in love with the Uchiha Prince, and the scarecrow must've had a love of his own as well. Orochimaru would have his head for this.

"So, when are you going to tell me your story, Mister Scarecrow?" Tenten inquired as she followed her new companion.

"Well, let me start by saying- you may call me Kakashi. And my story is a long one, so I will shorten it. Love is what turned me into a scarecrow, so long ago." He looked at the brunette girl. "I fell in love with a forbidden woman. Her name was-" he began to whisper. "Anko."

"Pretty name..." Tenten whispered.

"She belonged to someone very dangerous, and so as punishment I was turned into a scarecrow, that is until you rescued me." He chimed and Tenten assumed he had been smiling under the mask he wore.

"I still don't understand how I rescued you, that doesn't make sense."

"It does when you understand how curses work." Kakashi stated. "You see, curses can always be broken. There is always a way." He encouraged.

* * *

Orochimaru could not believe what he had seen. _Kabuto, you insolent imp! _He yelled in his mind as he gathered his things. "I suppose if I want something done right, I will have to do it myself."

Years ago, Orochimaru ruled the Kingdom of Konoha, undisturbed. The people feared and respected him, and never questioned him. That belonged to him. He enjoyed very much the power that he held, and the authority that was given to him as the King.

He was not tyrannical, like some of the commoners would whisper. He was simply firm, and direct. Should something go wrong or awry, he simply dealt with the problem. The guillotine was his absolute favorite.

One fateful day, a brave young Uchiha Prince, Madara-was it? This young Prince decided to have a simple wager with Orochimaru, should he lose, he would be banished to the forest of death for all eternity, and this prince from a distant kingdom, would gain the kingdom of Konoha.

Orochimaru had no intention of losing to this pathetic young man, but he had.

The kingdom was lost, and that is when the Uchiha family had began their reign.

He vowed revenge on the boy and his entire family, claiming that he would reclaim the kingdom that was rightfully the years, He began to search for a way, selling his soul for immortality, and beginning the use of dark magic, he concocted the perfect plan.

He would curse the strongest, bravest Uchiha boy, the one to become the most successful king. He did have to wait some time for the boy to be born, but when he was, the curse room root. And through his turmoil, the kingdom would fall it was close to collapse, of course that is until the young girl who captured the Prince's heart came along. Itachi would never be suited to be a king, his blindness was more than just lack of vision. He was blind to the fact that he could rule over Konoha greater than any ruler before his time. He could not see the true strength he had within him, feeling as a burden to those around him. Self hatred and lack of ability to see the truth about himself.

The young girl had begun to shatter that as soon as she had entered his life, so confidently. The curse had already begun to lift, Orochimaru could feel it.

He assumed sending another prince her way would be enough to enthrall her, then again this young one was not a typical 17-year old girl. Oh, how he loathed her.

"I'll have to kill the little pest myself." He said to himself through gritted teeth before disappearing in a cluster of smoke.

* * *

"I have yet to see anything, Lord Momochi." The Hyūga prince informed his 'hopefully' soon-to-be-father-in-law. He gracefully dismounted his steed and scanned the area where Tenten's tracks had seemingly vanished. He noticed that she must've been relatively wounded, there had been some blood before, but it stopped here.

The young girl's father deeply regretted his decision to push his child into a marriage the way he did. He felt so foolish, it wasn't something he would normally do to Tenten. He sighed and looked around for his daughter helplessly. _Tenten, please.. Be careful. _

* * *

The Uchiha's had the Hyūga search party beat as far as _size_ was concerned. Itachi was part of it, though he would not be very helpful. He waited at the edge of the Forest of Death where it was believed Tenten would emerge should she actually be heading in his direction. In his heart, he knew she was. He was so angry with her foolish and rash behavior, mostly because she had him _so_ worried.

He he missed that stubborn and genuine girl, and he hoped that she was alright in the forest, alone. He had heard so many terrible things about that forest. Things that were wicked, and dark. That a Dark Lord ruled over those woods, and that those who entered were at his mercy, and if they lived or died, well that was all up to the Dark Lord. Of course this was simply a legend, and Itachi didn't believe it for a second.

Sasuke went on with a few other men that had regularly guarded their palace. The had been searching diligently to no avail. None of their hounds had yet to pick up her scent. Luckily Itachi's garments from the Ball had her lingering scent, but it didn't seem to be helping the poor pups in this situation.

Sasuke grew worried for his older brother. He didn't think he could take the heart break should something terrible happen to his beloved Tenten.

* * *

It was so easy to have tracked the giddy little pair, especially in his own domain. The looks on their faces when he appeared in front of them were priceless.

"Well... If it isn't a measly scarecrow and a wench." He hissed.

Instinctively, Kakashi stepped in front of Tenten with a nasty scowl, even though it could not be seen. "What is it you want, Dark Lord?"

Tenten froze, unsure what to do. So the rumors of a Dark Lord were true? She gentlu gripped the back of her Scarecrow's shirt.

"Step aside, so I can kill this little pest." Orochimaru commanded, flicking his thick black hair away from his shoulders.

"You will do no such thing to Lady Tenten." Kakashi stated, defensively.

"Oh dear Kakashi, you've always been such a sucker for the damsel in distress, haven't you?" The Dark Lord smirked and with a flick of the wrist, Kakashi was sent flying into a nearby tree.

"Kakashi!" Tenten rushed to help him but was stopped by a firm hand gripping her wrist. She was captive. "Let me go!" She ordered, desperately trying to rip her arm from his grip.

Orochimaru pondered for a moment as he looked upon the young girl as a brilliant idea came to mind. She may not need to die after all. "Do you want your lovely prince to regain his vision?"

Tenten blinked, completely shocked as to how he knew about Itachi. "How do you-"

"Well, you heard Kakashi, the helpless scarecrow. I _am_ the Dark Lord. Now answer my question." He hissed.

"Of course I do." She replied. "For his sake, not my own." She finished.

"Ah," _perfect_. "How selfless of you, dear Lady Tenten. "Then this is what I need you to do."

"And whatever might that be?" She frowned.

"You must marry prince Hyūga. Accept his proposal and sure enough, your dear prince will once again be able to see!" His thoughts were that even if Itachi could see, his heart would be so tormented that he would refuse to rule the kingdom, Fugaku would not allow his younger to take the throne to show good form, and well, the Kingdom would crumble when he died of old age. Apart from this, should that not work, he would offer to bring Tenten to Itachi should he completely renounce the Kingdom. This could also work.

"What good would it do for him to see, his heart would be crushed should I betray him like that!" Tenten crossed her arms over her chest and heaved a sigh.

_Smarter than I thought. _He bit his lip and frowned. "Suppose I'll have to kill him, then."

"No! Just tell me why it is you want to keep me from him so desperately, and how it is you knew about Prince Hyūga proposing to me." She demanded.

"Dear heavens! It would've been much easier to kill you!" He spat, angrily, raising his palm to obliterate her.

"My Lord!" Kabuto rushed to his master's side and frowned. "Please don't kill her. Try one more spell, please."

Orochimaru let out a menacing growl. "Why is it you always manage to mess everything up?!" Once more he raised his palm, and the girl was surrounded with thick dark purple smoke. It engulfed her for what felt like hours, she coughed and coughed, desperately trying to escape it, Kakashi was unable to get to her in time.

Finally, the smoke cleared. Tenten stood there with a blank and completely empty look upon her face. "I will marry prince Hyūga."

"What a good girl. Now go home." Orochimaru ordered before disappearing in a puff of his own smoke to commence with his scheme, he didn't even have to restore the poor little prince's vision.


	9. Chapter 9

Hi! You all are awesome. I can't say much more, that's it. Please continue to read and review.

I DO NOT OWN NARUTO... Wish I did... so it wouldn't end. Ever.

AU

The Blind Prince

Chapter 9: Hot Pursuit

* * *

The scarecrow man looked upon the brunette girl with a saddened expression and slowly rose to his feet. She walked passed him, almost as though she didn't know or care about him at all. And prince Hyūga was not the prince she had been going on and on about finding. This was a spell that the Dark Lord must've cast for his own evil purposes. Kakashi knew that whatever hat purpose was, it was not good. He also knew that he had to do something about it, he had to bring Tenten back! And there was only one person in all the land who could help him do it.

"Lady Tenten!" He rushed after her, taking her hand in a gentle manor. "Please, let me help you to your prince." He said with a kind and hidden smile.

She looked upon him with an emotionless expression. "Take me to him." She commanded, folding her arms across her chest, after yanking her hand away from his.

Kakashi did not like this new Tenten whatsoevrr, but for the sake of the old Tenten, he would help her find her rightful prince, while defeating the Dark Lord. "Oh, absolutely my Lady."

* * *

"Your Highness." Came the voice of a guard that had been helping Sasuke track down the girl who had a hold on Itachi's heart. He pointed out the hounds and the fact that they had finally picked up on her scent.

Sasuke dismounted his horse and looked around carefully, meticulously studying the area. "She is not alone. Someone is with her..." He paused for a moment, looking at the ground with squinted eyes. "It had to have been a man, these footprints are too large to have been from another woman."

"So she could've been taken? Kidnaped?" The guard inquired.

"No, what we heard from Tenten's father, Lord Momochi, was that she ran away on her own. So someone found her while she was alone in the forest. Someone such as herself would most likely be an easy target."

"What do we do, Prince?"

Sasuke returned to his horse and firmly took the reigns. "We find whoever took her."

"These tracks are relatively fresh." Came a deep voice as a second search party arrived and stopped right next to the younger Uchiha prince.

"Hyūga." Sasuke glared intensely, but kept the rest of his face quite calm.

"Uchiha. Here to do your brother's bidding? Why can't he do it himself?" Neji stung as he smirked venomously.

"Enough, Prince Hyūga." Zabuza said quickly, trying to diffuse any anger before it could escalade into a brawl. "What's important right now is that we find my daughter. We could use their help. I'm assuming you're looking for her as well?" He looked toward a fuming Sasuke.

"We'll find her on our own. No one disrespects my brother that way, you're lucky I don't end you right here." He growled, ignoring the request that Zabuza had given.

"Hn, you couldn't even if you tried." Prince Neji replied with a cunning smirk. "Come sir, let's find Lady Tenten." He said bowing his head to Zabuza before taking off ion horseback, following the mysterious trail Tenten was believed to have taken.

"Hya!" Sasuke called quickly, following behind the Hyūga prince, hot on his heels.

* * *

"Are you certain this is the way to the Hyūga Palace?" Tenten inquired of her guide through the forest. She wasn't sure why she felt the way she did, but her mind felt quite foggy, and she was rather apathetic. She could not remember if that was how she normally felt, or if something was missing, but she didn't care much.

"Oh I'm positive, My lady." He responded, hoping she couldn't tell he was lying through his teeth. It appeared as though she didn't, because she continued following him contently, without another word.

He looked back at her occasionally, frowning when he did so. It angered him that Orochimaru had taken his new friend away from him as quickly as he had found her.l Luckily for him, they had almost reached their destination, he could see the small cottage just ahead, a small billow of smoke coming from it's chimney.

He grinned to himself, his hope restored. "Lady Tenten, we shall make a quick stop here to rest. I'm sure you're tired." He said, looking back at her.

Tenten nodded her head in response and followed him silently to the door to the cottage and stopped when he stopped. She looked at the peculiar man, with a strange inclination that she knew him from somewhere, but couldn't recall much about the stranger. She shrugged, so long as he took her where she needed to go, she did not care.

She noticed strange garden gnomes around the front garden of the cottage, paired with small frog statues, all posing in strange and unique ways. Tenten shuddered, unsure why they made her feel so uneasy.

There was a long, awkward pause after Kakashi had knocked upon the little red door, but it finally did swing open, revealing a rather tall man with white hair just like Kakashi's. But instead of short, and wild, his was long and even more wild, spiking on the top and sides in every which direction, and the length reaching almost to his ankles. The man was older than Kakashi, Tenten guessed it would be around ten years difference, though difficult to tell when Kakashi's face was covered almost entirely. He had strange red tattoo-like markings on his cheeks, coming from his eyes in a straight and narrow rectangular line. He wore earthy colored clothing and strange looking sandals that made him even taller. His shoulders were broad and his smile warm and genuine.

The man let out a loud and hearty chuckle when he saw who stood at the door. "Kakashi, my old friend!" He boomed with a loud, thick and cheerful voice. "I never thought I would see you again in all my life!" He gripped Kakashi's shoulders firmly, causing the shorter man to wince just a tiny bit before yanking him into a warm embrace.

Kakashi chuckled lightly and patted the man on the back. "Been a long time, Jiraiya."

* * *

"Come inside, Son." Fugaku urged his anxious son, Itachi as he paced the boundary line between their property and the Forest of Death.

"No, I need to wait here for her." Itachi protested, continuing to pace. By now he knew the line, and knew where the trees were so he did not run into them. His heart was heavy and it pounded hard with worry. He hoped that she was alright, knowing that she would be lucky to make it out of there in one piece, but he couldn't bring himself to think like that.

"It'll be dark soon, and it gets dangerous at night." Fugaku urged once more. "Sasuke _will_ find her, I promise."

Itachi took a moment to contemplate the 'what if's'. _What if they didn't find her, what if they did and she was dead, what if she decided to chose the other prince?_ His mind raced in every which direction, he wanted so desperately to be with her, to comfort her, hold her close and make sure she was safe. But right now she was God know's where.

"I have to stay." He resolved firmly. "She's going to need me when she comes out of there, and I don't care how long it takes. I can do nothing to help them find her, this is what I _can_ do."

Fugaku applauded his son's decision, proud of his strength and resolve. _He really loves that girl, doesn't he?_ He smiled to himself. "Then I shall stay and wait with you. It's no good to be alone at night."

* * *

The rescue entourage came upon another clearing just as the sun was about to set, at a place they had all deducted that Tenten and her accomplice or abductor had stopped. Sasuke and Neji both got off their steeds and scanned the area, doing their best to hold their tempers.

"There are now more tracks." Neji stated, looking around.

"You're right." Sasuke admitted, though he absolutely hated to. His gut turned at the thought of two other men finding Tenten in the woods, let alone just one. This was not good, and things were looking rather bleak. But he continued looking, noticing something incredibly strange. "The man who was beside Tenten..." He pointed out the tracks with his finger, suddenly disappeared..."

"Or was thrown..." Neji continued, pointing out rift in the dirt beside a nearby tree. "His tracks continue from here though, and the other two do not follow. These are Lady Tenten's."

"And those are the original tracks that were with her." a Sasuke finished.

"So who were the other two men that had run into Tenten and her abductor?" Zambia inquired nervously.

"Those tracks don't lead anywhere. They appear and disappear." Sasuke frowned deeply.

"That is completely illogical." Neji crossed his arms in disbelief.

"It isn't if it was the Dark Lord who visited them." Sasuke said in an ominous tone.

* * *

Tenten looked about the cottage curiously, wondering who this man was and why his home was so strange. She had been left alone for a moment with a warm cup of tea, which she relished and was quite thankful for. She hadn't realized how hungry and tired she actually was. She couldn't recall how long she had been traveling, but she supposed it didn't matter much.

With a shrug of the shoulders, she took another sip of tea and continued to look about her surroundings while the two older gentlemen spoke in a separate room.

Jiraiya looked at his old friend with quite an inquisitive expression and scratched his thick white hair. "So, you mean to tell me the Dark Lord has done something to cause her to forget the prince she truly loves?"

"Yes, and this prince happens to be ItachI Uchiha. There's a reason Lord Orochimaru doesn't want her to be with that specific prince." Kakashi informed.

"Ah, that is because it would most likely break the curse upon the young Prince." Jiraiya noted as he began looking through shelves if strange little bottles of liquids of every color imaginable. The bottles clanged together as he continued searching.

"Wait, Prince Uchiha is cursed? Why is that?" The scarecrow asked the Sage, curiously.

"Orochimaru has a deep seeded lust for revenge against the Uchiha family, that revenge starts and ends with Prince Itachi."

"But, this curse can be broken?"

Jiraiya bobbed his head in response. "All curses can be broken, as can all spells. Curses are much, much harder to break, and it appears as though little Lady out there is the key to breaking the one upon the Prince."

"I knew there was a reason behind Orochimaru wanting to eliminate Tenten, but his henchmen convinced him not to kill her." Kakashi said as he watched his old friend begin to mix a few of the bottles together.

"Yes, and as long as they both remain, they will continue to be threats to one another." The older man turned to face the younger and handed him a small glass that contained the strange liquids he had cryptically mixed together. "She has not been cursed, but rather a spell has been cast upon her. This will break it."

"What exactly is it, Jiraiya?" Kakashi grimaced.

"It's an elixir. She needs it right away, so go coax her to drink it. She won't take it from a perverted old Sage like myself." He smiled in response.

Kakashi nodded and rushed back out to his brunette friend.

She was right where he had left her, sitting sleepily at the small wooden table in the kitchen area. She looked up at him and forced away a yawn. "Hello."

"Hello, Lady Tenten." He said softly as he approached her. "You're looking rather weary."

She nodded her head tiredly, silently.

"Drink this, it'll help." He offered her the cup, and she took it warily, and quite unsure.

"What is it?" She inquired hesitantly.

Before the scarecrow had a chance to respond, the front door burst open and two young princes stood in it's wake. "Lady Tenten!" Neji exclaimed.

"Tenten." Sasuke said at the same time.

Her dark eyes widened when she saw the two standing there, and quickly she rose to her feet. "Prince Hyūga." She bowed politely before looking at Sasuke. "Do I know you?"

Sasuke growled. "Of course you do!"

"Please," Kakashi bowed. "Allow me to explain everything to you."


	10. Chapter 10

Hi there readers! Hope you had a fabulous Halloween. Did you eat a lot of candy? I didn't. Strangely enough, I don't like candy. Haha! I know, call me weird all you want. Anyway, thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of the amazing and very encouraging reviews. I love them and I am ever grateful to you! -Tifa

I DO NOT OWN NARUTO...

AU

The Blind Prince

Chapter 10: Just Out of the Woods

* * *

The prince with then piercing lavender eyes gunned down the scarecrow with a venomous glare at his request to explain the situation. "Explain why you have taken my fiancé?"

Sasuke glanced over at the ridiculous young man and rolled his ebony colored eyes and huffed a sigh. "She ran away on her own. And look at her, she's obviously not in any danger. Aside from that, she had to have told him about you and about Itachi. So let's just hear him out. "

"Thank you," Kakashi bowed gratefully before thwarting Tenten from rushing to the door. "No, you need to hear this too." He then ushered the two Princes into the home as well as a very tall gentleman with dark, short spiky hair and dark narrow eyes. The rest of their search parties were asked to wait outside.

"Tenten!" The tall man cried. "You're alright." He said as he rushed to the petite girl who obviously did not get her stature from her father and he scooped her up into a hug. "I was so worried."

Tenten was unsure as to why he had been worried, but she hugged back and shrugged. "I'm alright, father." she said before he gently set her down and took a seat among the rest of them.

For protection, Kakashi held onto the elixir carefully, knowing that the Hyūfa prince may take it and not allow Tenten to drink it. "I met Lady Tenten in the Forest of Death early this morning. She freed me from a curse that had been cast by Orochimaru, but better known as The Dark Lord." He started.

This confirmed Sasuke's suspicions of The Dark Lord having appeared before Tenten and her, friend now that this was clarified.

"Upon our journey, she spoke about her beloved prince, Itachi Uchiha. How she was desperately trying to get to him." He continued. "And so I decided I would accompany her and help her find this prince, no matter the cost."

Tenten frowned, she did not remember this at all. What lies this scarecrow was spinning. She folded her arms in protest, and opened her mouth to speak, but was hushed by the scarecrow.

Neji grimaced when he heard that she had been ranting and raving about a prince who could not even see. He rolled his eyes and continued listening.

"However, we came upon The Dark Lord, or rather, he appeared before us. He wanted to kill Lady Tenten, but his henchmen begged him just to cast a spell to preserve her life. And that's precisely what he did. He cast a spell over her to make her believe she was going to marry Prince Hyūga, instead."

This information seemed so wrong to Tenten, she was more than confused. But she really did believe that she was to marry Prince Neji Hyūga. This made her question everything from her motives to her memories.

"How dare that bastard!" Sasuke growled, standing and pounding his fist on the table in anger.

"That's not all, boy. Sit down." Came the hearty voice of the Sage as he came out of the back room where he had created he elixir for Lady Tenten. "There's more to this story and it includes you. Now you are going to have to listen carefully. But first we need to hope that this Hyūga boy does the right thing, and let's the spell upon Miss Tenten be broken."

Prince Neji cast a glance toward the men before looking at Tenten and heaving a small sigh. "I don't want to be associated with The Dark Lord in any way. I'm sorry, Lady, but I will not marry someone who has been spellbound by an evil lord." With this, he bowed sadly and took his leave.

"No, Prince!" Tenten called after him and bolted to the door, but much to everyone else's surprise, her father stopped her.

_That seemed far too easy..._ Sasuke pondered to himself.

"Stay here. We need to return you to your normal self. I realized how selfish I was when I told you that you two were to be wed. That's why you ran away into the forest, Tenten." He gently rubbed her weary arms and kissed the top of her forehead before closing the front door and ushering her back to her seat.

"This elixer will bring her back to her original self, memories in tact. But she must drink it willingly, or it will not work." Jiraiya informed. "If I'm to tell you the rest of this story, boy, she needs to know it as herself because she's the key to it all."

Sasuke gave her a look from hell. "My brother is madly in love with you, you are going to have to trust that. He would do anything for you. In fact he is waiting for you right now at the property line. He _needs_ you, Tenten."

She looked up at the scarecrow who held the cup from before and then turned her glance to her father who gave her an assuring nod and smile. _Are they really trying to help? Father, I can at least trust him. _

Kakashi graciously handed the cup if elixir to his friend and knelt down beside her. "I know you're wary of all of this. I know you're having a difficult time trusting us, but believe me when I say we are all your comrades. We're on your side. We want our friend back, so please just trust us." He offered her the cup, hoping beyond hope that she would take it and drink.

She paused for a good-long while, just looking at the strange metal scepter before delicately taking it and swirling the strange blue colored liquid inside. Something very deep within her told her that she should just drink it, even though she was afraid. There had to be son validity to what they were all telling her. Since she couldn't recall or pinpoint the events, or even remember how she got into the forest in the first place.

With a deep breath, she raised the cup to her lips and drank quickly, grimacing afterward. Nothing spectacular in the physical seemed to happen, causing Kakashi to surely doubt. But Tenten's eyes became more focused, and she looked around the room with a deep curiosity before spotting Sasuke and gasping loudly. "Prince Sasuke!"

"She's back." Sasuke chuckled.

"Oh, Lady Tenten. Thank goodness! Kakashi sighed a large sigh of relief and sat down, as his work had been done.

"Where is Prince Itachi?" Was Tenten's first question.

"He' waiting for her on our property line, so whatever it is huh need to say old Sage, you need to say it." Sasuke said plainly with an expressionless face.

Jiraiya bobbed his snowy head and looked at Tenten seriously. "What I am about to tell you is very important, but it also puts you in immanent danger." He said, his expression very serious and stern.

Tenten gulped quietly to herself and motioned for the elder man to continue.

"Your beloved prince has quite a heavy curse upon him, and it goes down very deep within the Uchiha family." The Sage informed.

This caused Sasuke's eyebrows to raise, and chills ran down his spine. "Youre saying you think that my brother is cursed?"

"No, I don't think he is cursed, I know for a fact that he is. The Dark Lord ruled the Kingdom your parents currently rule years and years ago. He swore to exact revenge on your family for overthrowing him." He continued, "it took years for him to gain enough power, and to find the perfect prince to exact this curse upon."

"What exactly does this curse entail?" Tenten inquired curiously, her heart putter pattering with fear and curiosity.

"I'm with her, what's wrong with my brother and how can we stop it?"

Jiraiya looked at the two who cared the most for the cursed prince and gave them a hopeful smile and nod. "As I told my old friend Kakashi here, all curses can be broken. And that's where lady Tenten comes in. That curse was set in place not only to take away his eye sight, but to take away every ounce of hope within him. So much so, that he could snap at any moment and well, get rid of the King and Queen by his own hand. But the point of the curse, was to break the upcoming king, so that he would refuse the throne."

"So when Tenten showed up, that began to change." Sasuke noted as he looked upon the brunette. "And how exactly does she break this curse?"

Tenten nodded eagerly, wanting any information on how she could help Itachi. The feelings she felt for him had come rather suddenly, but she didn't care. She wanted to be with him, and help in anyway possible.

"It's a simple answer really, Itachi must be married to become King, but he needs a father noble and willing bride." Jiraiya explained.

"This is good news, right? I believe he intends to marry Tenten."

"Then yes, it is good. The day the are wed is the day the curse breaks, and or Orochimaru loses."

"Then let's not waste any time." Sasuke stood to his feet and offered his hand to Tenten. "We need to get you to your Prince."

Jiraiya suddenly reached out and grabbed Sasuke's wrist, drawing him close and whispering low, so that the others could not hear him. "Do not give into the darkness."

* * *

"M-my Lord." Came the quaking voice of one named Kabuto as he approached his master's quarters. "Forgive me for disturbing you, sir but.. The spell upon the young girl you cast... It..it has been broken."

The bedroom door to the Dark Lord's chamber swung open with a gust of wind and the pale and snake-like man glared daggers at his minion. "How has this happened?! What of Prince Hyūga?!"

"The old Sage Jiraiya created an elixir. Prince Hyūga refuses to take part any longer, knowing you have cast a spell upon her. He feels it would tarnish the Hyūga name should anyone find out."

"Jiraiya..." Orochimaru growled before gripping his poor imp by the throat. "I told you she needed to die! This sets us so far back I'm unsure we can even beat them to the a Uchiha Palace!"

"O-of.. C-c-course.. Y-y-you can.." Kabuto choked out, trying not to struggle to much. Finally, he was released, slinking to the floor in a heap of terror and fright. But he was thankful he could breathe again.

Orochimaru sauntered over to a large mahogany wardrobe and flung it open with a flick of the wrist. He then took out a small and very antiqued looking fragrance bottle. He sprayed the mist high in the air and as the tiny particles of water began to fall, they created an image of the whereabouts of Tenten and her 'rescue' party. Judging by their surroundings, they were growing quite close to the boundary line.

He had a decision to make, and he had to make it abruptly. He could use a very dark and taxing spell to take over the one she was closest to, which appeared to be the younger Uchiha, and kill her via his body, or he could get inside the palace, and frame Itachi for the murder of his own parents. The later sound far-fetched for a blind man to be capable of such a heinous crime, so he decided to go for the first.

Quickly he rushed down to his vault, signaling Kabuto to fallow. He began grabbing every ingredient needed for this. Luckily for him, he just so happened to have a hair from the youngest prince, he had been saving it for a rainy day, and this seemed to be a hurricane occasion.

In a small cauldron, he began measuring and mixing the perfect concoction in order to cast the spell, this would take much of his own magic, so he hoped he had enough energy to snap the little girls neck before the spell ran out. Itachi would lose his little brother and the love of his life in one night, that should keep his scheme on course.

The final ingredient was the hair from the once small boy and one of his own. It then began. His snake-like eyes began to roll back and his body convulsed before it suddenly collapsed to the floor

* * *

Tenten's arms were wrapped tightly around Sasuke's waist as they rode on his horse together. She sighed, smelling the back if his tunic. His scent was a little sweeter than Itachi's, but it was, aside from that very similar.

The night was growing darker and the forest seemed to be growing even more dense as they rode, and she could tell he was just as eager to get out of there as she when he sped up. Her hair whipped wildly behind her as they continued through the woods, and her eyes began to droop, ever so slightly.

Kakashi had opted to stay with Jiraiya should the Dark Lord come after them for helping her, causing Tenten to be saddened.

Her father and the rest of his search party followed closely behind Sasuke, but they began to grow more and more distant. "Prince Sasuke." Tenten tugged on his sleeve.

"Hm?" He continued, not bothering to use an actual word to respond.

"You should slow down, the rest of the group is falling behind." She informed, forced to hold onto him tighter for speeding up even more.

"That's exactly what I want." He smirked a devilish smirk as his eyes flicked from black to something far more ominous. Swiftly, he directed his horse off the path and into a heavily wooded, and impossibly dark circle of woods, before bringing the large creature to a halt.

"P-prince Sasuke!?" Tenten squealed out, and held onto him tightly, but he shoved her violently off the steed and onto the cold, and rather prickly forest floor. "Ah!" Tenten hit the ground with a thud.

He dismounted his horse and sauntered over to the very confused young woman, plastering a smirk onto his face. "You little wench." He growled, kneeling down to her and grabbing the front of her thin little gown.

"What are you doing!?" She cried out with wide and questioning eyes that quaked. She tried not to show how afraid she really was. What did he want? What was he planning to do to her? But she realized when she looked into his normally onyx colored eyes, that something was different.

"Ohh, you're so observant." He hissed, almost as if he had read her mind. "It's too bad you won't be able to tell anyone who actually killed you." He smirked again, before grabbing her by the throat.

"S-Sasuke!" Tenten choked out and grabbed hold of his wrists defensively, feeling her throat being crushed. Her dark eyes widened and she locked them onto his. "P-please..."

_Don't give into the darkness._ Somewhere deep within Sasuke's subconscious, he heard the old Sage's foreboding words. His eyes flickered, between his own and those of the Dark Lord.

Tenten could feel his grip upon her throat tighten and loosen as his eyes flickered. _I've got to keep trying. _She fought to keep her eyes open, and tried to force more words out. "Y-you." She coughed, desperate for air. "You're not..." She squeezed hard on his wrists and forced the last few words out. "You're not like this!" She choked before blacking out.

At those words, Sasuke returned, the Dark Lord no longer possessing him, and he caught Tenten's body as it began to slump downward. "Oh no." He whispered to himself. Quickly, he checked to see if she was breathing and thanked his lucky stars that she was. He listened carefully to see how far away the group was behind him. They were close. He needed to get out of this area and away from the suspicions that were sure to come.

"Dammit." He mumbled to himself as he carefully climbed onto the horse with Tenten in front. He held onto the reigns and let her body lean back against his. If anyone asked, she was asleep and he didn't want her to fall off, so he switched places with her.

He made his way out of the thicket just in time for the others to catch up, and explained himself to them. After they nodded in approval, the group continued on to the property line.

It didn't take long after that for them to reach it, and Itachi heard them coming a mile away. His heart raced when he heard the sound of horses stopping in front of where he and his father had been waiting for what felt like an eternity.

"Did you find her?" He said with a hoarse and tired voice.

"Yes, we did." Sasuke whispered. "She's asleep."

Fugaku gently received the young girl from Sasuke's horse and spoke softly. "I've got her, Itachi."

Mikoto and Fugaku insisted that Lord Zabuza and and his daughter, Tenten stay at their estate for the night, seeing as how it was rather late and they were both exhausted from the journey. They had even offered for them to stay as long as they needed for Tenten to recover. Their maidservants made quick work of readying two guest bedrooms. Zabuza's on the second floor and Tenten's on the first, close to Itachi's room.

Itachi insisted that he take her and carry her in, and Zabuza approved. Fugaku gently handed the girl off to Itachi and he took her in his arms softly. So grateful to have her back he cradled her tightly and let out a quiet sigh of relief before kissing the top of her head. Mikoto couldn't help but smile fondly at the sight when she saw her son carrying his beloved up toward the palace. Occasionally, but not very often, Fugaku would direct him, making sure he didn't run into anything.

"I'll get her to her room." Itachi offered, waiting for a response as to where she would be staying.

"I asked the maidservants to make up the bed in the room right across from yours." Mikoto smiled softly before looking at Zabuza. "I'll show you to yours."

Itachi made his way down the familiar dark hallways with Tenten still laying limp in his arms. Her body fluidly moving with the steps he took. Occasionally he heard her let out some quiet sounds, making him grateful she was alright. He noted that they were near his room, so he crossed the hall and found the door to the room she would be staying in and opened it up. If he remembered correctly, the lay out of this room would be identical to that of his own, only mirrored. So he cautiously walked in and turned his body to the left. _This should be where the bed is._ He thought to himself before extending his leg out to see if it indeed was the bed. When he felt the wooden bedframe, and it's length, he sighed relieved and gently lay the sleeping girl down on the bed.

Gently, he reached around her head to make sure that there was a pillow beneath it, and sure enough there was. He carefully pulled the thick, down blanket over the top of her body and it sounded like she snuggled into them. Something inside his chest ached deeply, as though his heart was being wrenched out of his chest. He wanted to _see_ her. He trusted she was alright, but how could he know for sure, especially if she wasn't awake to tell him so.

Sighing, gently reached down and felt her forehead with the very tips of his fingers before tracing the outline of her face. He felt her stir very lightly, before kneeling down and placing a kiss upon her forehead.

He resolved that he would not leave her side until she woke, so he walked to the doorway and leaned against the wall beside it, arms folded and eyes closed. He listened to her breathe softly, and occasionally she would shift positions on the bed. He to himself when he heard her coo, and make small groaning noises. He knew she may not wake until daybreak, but he would wait.

* * *

After Mikoto showed Zabuza to the guest room where he would be sleeping for the evening, Sasuke called the three others to the banquet hall. He was thankful that Itachi was preoccupied with staying with Tenten and making sure she was alright. He didn't know how he might take the news that he had been cursed.

He explained everything to his parents about what had happened, leaving out only a minor detail. He told them of Tenten's journey and whom she had met. He explained how the Dark Lord had cast a spell upon her to cause her to forget about Itachi and believe she would be marrying the rivaling Prince. He told them how a perverted Sage who continued to stare at Tenten's bosom that definitely stood out in the tight fitting gown, though she had no idea. But despite the Sage's dirty mind, he managed to break the spell on Tenten, and return her to normal, and explain to them the true cause of Itachi's ailment. He told them how the curse could be broken, and that Tenten was the key.

"And then we got her here safely." Telling them that his body and mind had been compromised by the Dark Lord was something he decided he shouldn't do. It was fine, he was back to normal, and Tenten was safe. No need to worry them further.

Mikoto and Fugaku stared at their younger son in disbelief. "Say it isn't so, that our son has been under a curse nearly his entire life!?" Mikoto shrieked, her heart breaking for her child.

"That bastard." Fugaku swore behind gritted teeth and clenched his fists.

"I'm sorry, mother, father." Sasuke bowed his head to show his condolences.

"It's okay, this curse can be broken thanks to your daughter, Lord Momochi. It would be our great pleasure to have her as a daughter-in-law." Mikoto dried her eyes, remembering that hope still remained for her son.

"I approve of a marriage between them, should they choose it. But I will not force my daughter into something she may not be ready for. I made that mistake once, and that's what got her into the mess she was in. Aside from that, the boy needs to propose properly." Zabuza informed, folding his arms over his broad chest.

"I couldn't agree more, however, the Dark Lord poses a threat to your daughter, and our son. We can't let any harm come to them. I'm sure they'll understand." Fugaku stated.

"With all due respect to both of you, I don't think you'll need to worry. I've seen the way they both look at each other, they'll be married in no time." Sasuke added.

* * *

Itachi's eyelids had become incredibly heavy. He'd heard the rest of the palace scatter off to their respective bedrooms and go to sleep, so the household was quiet and still, making it difficult for him to stay awake.

That changed when he heard Tenten sit up and ask where she was.

He quietly walked over to her bedside. "Tenten, you're safe." He stated quietly.

It was dark, and her eyes had yet to adjust to the darkness of the room, but when she saw a figure saunter over to her, she felt paralyzed with fear until she heard his deep, smooth voice assure her that she was safe. A smile spread across her face. "Itschi." She whispered out, looking up at him before reaching out and taking his hands.

At this, he knelt down, and kissed her hands that held his own. "Are you okay?" He whispered softly. "I was so worried."

"I'm fine." She whispered in response. "Where are we?" She looked around but still things were rather dark, and the curtains over the window prevented any light that shone down from the moon.

"We're in my palace. Your father is also here, sleeping up stairs." He informed. "Everyone else went to sleep some time ago."

Tenten could feel her cheeks grow hot. "So," she started. "Are we in your room?" Her heart pounded in her chest as her eyes began to adjust. She could see his face, and the worry he wore on it.

"No, my room is across the hall, but I wanted to stay and make sure you were okay before going to bed." He said, softly.

Tenten sighed, a little relieved before laying her forehead on the top of his shoulder, weary from her journey.

"I heard you got engaged." He teased lightly.

She wasn't energetic enough to explain to him the whole story, but she did giggle just a bit. "Oh, yes. Briefly."

"Am I invited to the wedding?" He teased once more, gently rubbing her tired back with his palm.

Tenten suddenly relaxed in his arms, his touch becoming intoxicating. "Only if you're the groom." She mumbled out.

"Are you proposing to me now, Lady Tenten?" He chuckled.

She nodded her sleepy head and kissed his neck. "Yes." She said between two kisses.

His dark eyes went wide and goosebumps covered his body as she continued to trail kisses along the exposed skin of his neck. Gently, he ran his long fingers through her thick and wavy hair, causing her to tilt her head back and sigh quietly. He didn't know what she was doing, or if she was inviting him to go further, so he didn't.

She peered at him with one opened eye and put her hands on his chest, now able to see him clearly that her eyes were totally adjusted. Something deep inside her groaned when she did. This was more than just affectionate feelings she was beginning to have for him. She delicately placed her hands on his chest. _Everyone else went to sleep some time ago. _She remembered. Slowly, she brought her head back up and ran her hands down his chest, leaning in and letting her warm breath hit the skin of his neck again.

This time, Itachi understood what she wanted, and his skin tingled at her touch. Ever-so-gently, he reached out and touched her face, his thumb lightly grazing over her lips before his own lips found hers.

She closed her eyes and snaked her arms around his neck, pulling him onto the bed with her as their kiss grew deeper and more intense. Her heart pounded, and the butterflies in her stomach seemed to multiply by the second as his hands gently began to roam her body.

Her lips tasted sweet and were so incredibly soft, he didn't want to part from them, so for a while he didn't until he felt her hands gently tickle the skin underneath his shirt. He felt his cheeks grow warm for a moment before he sat up and removed the shirt for her, laying it carefully beside the bed so he wouldn't have to search for it later.

She stared up at him in total disbelief, his body was very muscular and since when were his shoulders that broad? She blushed quite brightly and touched the bare skin on his chest and trailed down to his abs.

"Tenten," He said in an inquisitive tone. "Is this what you want?"

"Yes." She gave him that response just as quickly as his question had been asked.

Itachi smirked at this, causing her to blush even more before he gently grabbed the edges of her gown and lifted it up. She assisted him in getting it off and over her head, leaving her only in her undergarments. Certainly this was the time when he wanted to see her most. He was not a pervert, well he might admit that he was just a little, but what man wouldn't want to see the woman he.. loved, like this?

"Tenten.." He started again.

"I promise it's-"

"I.." he paused. "I love you." His heart pounded so damn hard in his chest when he spoke those three words, oh it was enough to make his chest explode all over her.

Tenten gasped and sat up, blushing uncontrollably and her hands began to tremble. "I love you too, Itachi." She whispered before crashing her lips onto his.

Suddenly, thunder rolled in the sky outside their room after several flashes of lightning had struck near their room. Itachi was then surrender by a plume of red and black smoke that was thick and rolling all about the room until it engulfed everything within the room, including Tenten.

Tenten reached for Itachi but she couldn't find him, so she leapt off the bed and yanked open the curtains and quickly opened the window, causing the smoke to pour out of the room. The moon shone down brightly, spilling it's light into the room as the last of the smoke dissipated, and Itschi's body lay almost in a lifeless state on the bed.

She rushed to him in a panic, and looked down upon him with wide and worried eyes. "Itachi!"

She heard him intake a breath of air before exhaling and slowly opening his eyes that had been tightly shut. He closed them just as quickly as he had opened them, and reopened them again and shot a deadly gaze toward Tenten. He. Could. See. Her. She wasn't as short as he imagined, but far more gorgeous. Her hair was a dark chocolate cinnamon color that reached down the middle of her back in thick waves. Her waist was rather small but she had perky and rather voluptuous breasts that spilled out of a dark maroon corset. Her skin was golden tan and her eyes were large and dark, much like her hair.

Those eyes of his doubled in size as he sprung off the bed and scooped Tenten up in his arms. "You are so beautiful!" He exclaimed as he spun the girl in circles.

"You can see me?" She asked curiously, looking up at him with wide eyes as e spun them.

He gently set her down and spun her around on her own, taking her in. "Oh yes." He growled lowly.

Tenten blushed shyly, suddenly feeling rather vulnerable and exposed. "What do you think?"

"I think," he started before picking her up again, "it's time I showed you just what I think." Itachi said as he lay her back down on the bed and his eyes wandered over her body. He flicked away a few stray tears as he began to trail kisses down her neck and chest. He reached behind her arched back and began to untie her corset, causing her breasts to spill out even more, he discarded the article of clothing and blushed upon seeing her bare flesh.

Her hands tricked gently down his chest as her breathing sped up and her heart began to pound once more. She let out a quiet gasp when his hands gripped her breasts gently and she leaned up to capture his lips in her own with a fiery passion that could not be extinguished.

They confessed their love to one another over and over again that evening, vowing to never leave one another's side despite what trials may or may not come. And the resolved to marry as soon as daylight broke. But until that time, they kept each other's company, all through the night.


	11. Chapter 11: Confessions

Well hey there readers... in all honesty, I kind of intended for that last chapter to be the last chapter, however tons of you had reviewed saying you wanted to know what happened next! Here it is! I hope to continue to update as fast as I can. But I want to make sure that what I'm posting is quality work. I'm also updating some of my older stories as well. This story here is my top priority, and if I can I will continue to update daily. Thanks so much for your continued support!

I DO NOT OWN NARUTO

AU

The Blind Prince

Chapter 11: Confessions

* * *

She woke up in a huff, sweat drenching her trembling body. She looked about the strange room she had been in and noticed that Itachi wasn't laying beside her like she thought he was. She also noticed that her clothes were still on her body from before. She glanced to her right, noticing Itachi sitting on the ground by the door and leaning against the wall. She heard his faint snoring breaking through the silence when she finally realized that what she had just experienced had been merely a dream. Her heart twisted deep inside her chest, she had been so sure the curse had broken, but it hadn't. She only wished. But that didn't mean that it wouldn't break soon, it just hadn't yet.

By the looks of things, it was still dark outside and the rest of the household must've still been sleeping. Gently, Tenten swung her legs over the side of the bed, opposite to where Itachi was resting rather peacefully. She made her way to the window and gently pulled the curtain back to peer at the night sky.

Thousands, or so it seemed like, of stars were twinkling in the deep blue midnight sky above her, but what was even more captivating than they, was the large and rather full moon that shone brightly enough to illuminate the entire room. She gasped quietly, looking back at Itachi as the moonlight spilled over his sleeping form. It didn't matter, he didn't wake. She frowned deeply, having forgotten his ailment momentarily. She turned her back silently to him once more. She gently placed the palm of her hand on the glass and wondered to herself if the curse really would be broken, just by uttering the words 'I love you.' Surely, they would have to mean it, and she was certain, at least on her part, that they did.

He must've felt the same , but there was no way that even admitting that could break such a dark and terrible curse. It wasn't fair for Itachi to have lived all these years with a curse upon him that he had no idea about. Just the thought of it drove Tenten to the verge of tears. But she hushed her emotions and continued to stare out the window, looking for some type of solace. She didn't know why she felt a little lost and helpless, she was safe and Itachi was there, she knew how to break the curse, so what was missing? She was certainly upset that the dream hadn't been her reality, but she knew that sooner or later that day would come.

* * *

_Tenten... Tenten... _"Hey wake up! Breakfast is ready!"

Tenten streched out and smiled a well rested smile. After dreaming something so pleasant. She looked up to see Sasuke and Itachi standing at her bedside. Slowly she sat up and yawned quietly. "Morning you two." Tenten looked at the both of them and realized just how much they actually looked alike. She then let out a sigh, realizing that she would somehow have to tell Itachi about the curse and all that had happened to her on her journey to find him. Truth be told she was also shaken up about the Dark Lord, knowing he was still out there and that he may still be after her.

"You okay, Tenten? You look a little pale." Sasuke inquired, looking down at her.

Itachi frowned hearing this. "What's wrong, Tenten?" He asked, slowly approaching the bed and offering her his hand.

Slowly she reached out and took his hand with her own. _Just give it time_. She told herself mentally as she gave his hand a very light squeeze. She was so thankful to have finally gotten back to him, she wanted to treasure their time together before explaining everything.

Sasuke saw that Tenten was deep in thought, and so he decided to let the two alone for a bit. "Well, come down when you're ready. There are clean clothes in that dresser for you." He said before walking out.

Itachi was quite perceptive, it came with being a blind man. He had to rely on other senses and on his intuition. He could tell that something was wrong with Tenten. The tone in her voice, the clamminess of her hand in his. "What's wrong?" He asked as he felt around for the edge of the bed, and sitting down once be found it.

This was not the time to tell Itachi of what happened in the woods, or of the Dark Lord. Just thinking of the snake like man made her shiver with chills. She didn't want to speak of it, at least not yet. "I'm okay, Itachi." She assured. "It was just a long journey, and rather eventful."

"What happened?" He inquired, knowing full well that she was withholding information from him. He had yet to speak to her since she had returned, so he wasn't sure what had happened on her journey.

She shook her head, and slowly wrapped her arms around him and rested her head upon his chest. She was so thankful for his returned warm embrace. And even more thankful that she had made it back to him safely.

Itachi could feel her body trembling slightly in his arms and he wondered just what kind of things might've happened, But he treasured the fact that he got to hold her there like that. As a few moments passed, he felt her body calm and he placed a gentle and sweet kiss upon her forehead. "Do you want to talk about it, Tenten?" He finally asked.

She didn't know when the right time to tell him about the curse might be. What worried her was how he might take the news. She wanted time to clear her head, and get things back to normal between them before she broke that type of news to him. She was still so shaken up from the journey. She needed some normalcy. "Maybe after we eat breakfast."

* * *

No one at the breakfast table had mentioned the curse, and it was strange for Tenten to look at the family without thinking of the dream she had had. But it was getting easier the more time she spent with them. Sasuke had notified her as they sat at the table quietly that he had told the King and Queen of the curse, and that there was no rush for a marriage. It eased Tenten's mind quite a bit when she heard that. So Tenten decided she would spend the day with Itachi and tell him when she felt the moment was right.

After breakfast, she decided it would be a good idea to revisit the place where he had stolen her first kiss, so she took him to the garden, holding his hand tightly in her own. She was impressed that he knew exactly where she had lead him.

He was still very worried about her, and he knew she was still keeping something from him, but he didn't want to push it. He was just thankful that she was alright and unharmed. Her story had yet to be told, but he knew it was a lengthy one that must've been hard. When they came to a stop, he released her hand and gently felt around for her delicate face. When he found it, he cupped her cheek in his hand and gently stroked her soft skin with his thumb. He felt her lean into his touch and her hot breath from a sigh tickling the skin of his hand and his wrist. His free hand gently cupped the other side of her face and his dark eyes searched desperately for something, glistening as they moved.

It felt like he was reading her like an open book, though he couldn't see her, and though they weren't speaking at all. She felt all the worry and anxieties from before slowly dissipate into nothing as he held her gaze. It was strange the way he looked at her, and her heart pitter-pattered momentarily at the thought that maybe he did see her. But she knew after a moment that he didn't. She took her hands, and placed them on top of his softly, as they rested on her face, and she smiled happily. She felt so secure standing there in silence with him.

"Will you tell me what's wrong now, Tenten?" He whispered huskily.

"Yes, I'll tell you." She started as she took his right hand away from her face and lead him to a nearby bench and sat down beside him. "Well you know that I ran away because another prince proposed, and my father had accepted without my consent."

"Mhm."

Tenten sighed heavily. There was no way she could explain all the details of her journey to him without sounding crazy. "Co-could you tell me about how you lost your vision?" She asked, suddenly changing the subject and taking a different approach.

"What does this have to do with anything, Tenten?" He frowned deeply, obviously not thrilled with her choice of question. "Unless you are asking because you would rather be with a prince who can see." He said, defensively.

"No, Itachi that's not it at all!" She grabbed his hands tightly. "It's just," she sighed, she couldn't tell him. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to drudge up that pain. I want you for who you are. I don't care about anyone else but you."

At this, Itachi smiled a bit and he felt his cheeks grow a little warm. He was thankful for her, and thankful that his younger brother had found her, and brought her back safely. There was no way that he could even begin to repay Sasuke. During the time she was away, he did nothing but worry for her and her safety, but he felt guilty that he couldn't be the one to rescue her. It ate him up inside, standing helpless at the property line only hoping that Sasuke would find her. It was only natural for him to react sharply when she had asked him about his vision, but maybe there had been a deeper meaning behind it. He knew Tenten was not like the other girls who had asked about his ailment as if it were some sort of turn off, something to be looked down on for.

"I don't remember how old I was, it's been some time now," he started after clearing his throat.

Tenten was surprised by this, thinking he hadn't been willing to open up about it, she decided not to press the matter further, but it seemed as though he had changed his mind.

"I was playing in the corridors with Sasuke, I can still remember that smug look on his face while I chased him, but suddenly my vision became blurred and the next thing I knew I was on the ground. From then on, it grew worse and worse and slowly it became complete darkness. It was right before I met you that everything went black. I used to be able to make out a few shapes here and there, maybe if I was lucky I could catch the glimpse of a color. But not anymore." He admitted, reluctant at first, but it felt rather freeing to confess this to her.

He'd been so closed off, so defensive of his blindness, he never wanted to let anyone in, or allow himself to be vulnerable enough to tell anyone what happened, like it was some kind of curse. He couldn't see the expression on Tenten's face after he'd explained it, but he knew she understood. She gently took his hands and placed a soft kiss on his cheek.

"What if I told you that you could see again?" Tenten whispered slowly, and rather hesitantly.

Itachi's darkened eyes blinked a few times as he tried to digest what Tenten had inquired of him. Seeing again, what a thought. Of course he had considered that. He would be lying if he said that he hadn't thought about it every single day of his life. But it was hopeless. His parents had spent so much time and money on doctors, physicians, sorcerers. No one had any answers, his vision was simply never coming back. Those wishes always lingered, though, especially when he met Tenten. But right now, she was beginning to sound a little crazy.

"Tenten, I'm sorry but that's not possible." He stated plainly. He began to wonder if she really meant it when she said she wanted him for who he was.

"But it is!" She exclaimed, squeezing his hands tightly.

"Trust me, it isn't." He was beginning to grow more and more agitated.

"But, Itachi!" She started, "just hear me out!"

"Tenten!" Itachi snapped suddenly, yanking his hands away from hers. "That's enough! You stubborn girl, I don't want to hear it. If you mean what you say that you don't care about my lack of vision you will drop this right now! I've told you what you wanted, but talking like this is a wait's of breath."

Her heart sank and she looked down at her feet, tears threatening to fall from her stinging brown eyes. She regretted ever thinking she could simply explain the curse to him and expect that he would be okay with it, and she hadn't even gotten that far yet. She couldn't help but feel as though she'd broken some type of trust between them, especially after he had just opened up to her like that. She was at a complete loss for words, and telling him about the journey would just be a mere 'waist of breath', since it had everything to do with him and his cursed eyes.

Tenten didn't expect his harshness either, but she figured it was probably due to the fact that he was more sensitive than he let on about his eyes. So she resolved that she would drop it all together. And if he came for her and asked her hand, maybe the curse would break, but it was very painfully obvious that that was the only way he would ever know about it.

"I-I'm sorry." She choked up before rising to her feet. "Forgive me." She had never had such a longing to be home in Kirigakure in all her life. Quite frankly she felt rather embarrassed and she just wanted to be back home with Kurenai and Lee, being scolded by her father for being too much like the boys, and not enough like a lady. That was far easier than this.

He heard it in her voice, the sadness and regret. But he was too angry to care at this point. He didn't like being pushed, and this was something he knew couldn't change. If she cared so much about him, the way he was, why wouldn't she drop the damn subject. He shook his head and remained silent, turning his head away from her and toward the Palace.

A single tear slid down her right cheek as she turned away from him, and walked back into the Palace to find her father so be could take her home.


	12. Chapter 12

Hello readers! Thank you for all the kind responses. I probably will not update again until Thursday, but that's okay, I'm sure you can manage!

-Tifa

I DO NOT OWN NARUTO

AU

The Blind Prince

Chapter 12: Inquiry

* * *

It had been several days since Tenten had heard anything from Prince Itachi, they hadn't been together since she had tried to bring up the curse. She had been trying to distract herself by training with Lee even more than she already did, and spending time away from home. It hadn't been fair for him to have reacted so angrily, and if she had known he would've she would never have told him. The more she thought on it, the more it ate at her, and wore on her whirling mind.

She wished she could take it back, that he would call for her and ask for her to visit, but he hadn't. She only worried a small bit that maybe the Dark Lord had something to do with that, but it was a little far-fetched. Tenten had never seen Itachi like that, and it was odd to her. He was the one that called himself a monster when she first met him, not her. She felt like it would be something that would make him happy, but she supposed now-that she was very wrong. Aside from all of her worrying, she was beginning to miss her newest friend, Kakashi.

Tenten focused on the present spar with Lee, anything to get her mind off of The Prince. His movements were incredibly fast and fluid, but she'd been training with him for long enough to predict and counter, they made a good team. Her movements became more aggressive and choppy when she started to think about the situation between she and Itachi, no matter how hard she tried to keep her mind away from that train if thought, she couldn't. She was continually scolding herself inwardly for what she _should've_ said, but didn't. And what she _did_ say but shouldn't have.

Losing her focus and her bearings, Lee had given her a firm roundhouse kick to the side of her ribs, causing her to fall forward onto the ground and knocking the wind out of her. She coughed and groaned as she clutched her side carefully.

"Oh Tenten! I'm so sorry!" He dropped to his knees in front of her and his face contorted into one of worry and regret. "Please forgive me!"

"It's okay, Lee." Her voice rasped out as she slowly forced herself to sit up. "It's my fault, you bested me." Tenten forced a smile and patted his dark head.

He smiled fondly at her and then proceeded to frown. "What has you so unfocused these days, Tenten. You haven't told me anything since you've returned."

Tenten sighed and looked into her companions round, glistening and sincere eyes. "It's a long story."

"I've got all day." He assured as he draped an arm around her.

* * *

"Itachi hasn't requested to see Tenten yet?" Mikoto asked her husband as she walked anxiously into his study.

The older Uchiha looked up from his book and noticed the distraught look upon his wife's normally chipper face. "No." He shook his head in dismay and sighed quietly. "Unfortunately, he hasn't. I don't know what's wrong with him." Fugaku frowned deeply.

"I'll try talking to him." Came their younger son's voice in the doorway. Both parents turned their gazes to Sasuke and they gave him looks of appreciation before nodding.

Sasuke knew what was bothering Itachi, he happened to have heard the entire conversation he and Tenten had the day after they had rescued the girl from the Forest of Death. He wasn't stupid enough to bring it up, but he may have to now that he had suddenly told his parents he would talk to Itachi about it.

Itachi was such an oddity. His emotions were unstable, unpredictable and unreliable. He just didn't know how to handle them, Sasuke admitted he was quite similar in that manor, but probably not nearly as bad. If it were up to him, he would accept the throne before Itachi if it meant that his parents stop pestering his older brother about straightening up and maturing. He was already very mature, very wise and insightful. He was just terrible with feelings or portraying them, and turning them into words. With Itachi there was always a thin line between elation and anger. Not to say he was crazy, but he was different, and rather complex. But Sasuke knew this because he too was structured and wired in the exact same way. He would trade his sight for Itachi's if only he could.

Sasuke walked down the stairwell and down the hall to his older brother's room and knocked gently on the door. "Nisan, it's me." He called before hearing his brother groan. This was Itachi's way of telling Sasuke to go away, but he ignored that and walked into his room.

Itachi was sitting on the edge of his bed, his hair wasn't pulled back into a low hanging ponytail like it normally was, it was loose and hung about sporadically, hanging down his back and chest like a thick black covering. It contrasted with the bare skin of his chest and arms. Sasuke was thanking his lucky stars that the man was wearing pants. Itachi looked weary, sullen and apathetic all at once.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Sasuke barked, closing the door behind him and walking to his brother.

"What are you talking about, Sasuke?" Itachi growled, lowly.

"I'm talking about the fact that you haven't tried to reach out to Tenten since she left that day. And she had apologized to you before she left and you said nothing. Even I thought that was cold, Itachi." Sasuke scolded.

"I thought you might've been listening." Itachi said as a smirk made it's way across his face. "Why do you care?"

Sasuke, if he were to be perfectly honest, didn't know why he cared. Other than the fact that that silly little brunette girl brought his brother a happiness that he'd never seen before. Itachi _needed_ her. He did. He was functioning more normally when she was around, he was _smiling_. Which was rather rare for either Uchiha since the incident with Itachi's vision. Aside from this, he felt guilty for nearly killing Tenten, even though it hadn't been him. Since that day, he hadn't felt any strange take over sensations, so he didn't think he was in any danger.

"Because I know how you feel about her, and you can't just let her go because she happened to push your buttons."

"She did _more_ than push my buttons. She persisted, she wouldn't quit talking about somehow having a magical solution to my lack if vision."

"Itachi, I doubt you'll believe me, but what Tenten was trying to tell you was true." Sasuke informed, sitting next to his brother on the bed.

"Don't you go there too, you know better than that. You know how hard our parents worked trying to find a cure for this, and they couldn't."

"So you seem to think that because there was no solution or reliable answer to the problem then, that there couldn't be one now? " Sasuke asked, looking at his brother.

Itachi's expression changed very briefly as he listened to his brother continue.

"You are so wrapped up in the past that you can't even be happy about the fact that someone other than your family loves you!" Sasuke exclaimed, standing to his feet and looking down at his brother. "God, you're so pathetic! Look at you! Sitting in here feeling sorry for yourself when someone who cares a great deal for you went through so much to get to you! She reached out to help you, not hurt you Itachi."

Itachi blinked his dark eyes and he could feel the burning sensation of tears that might want to fall. His brother's words had been true, and rather accurate. He was feeling sorry for himself. How selfish he had been, he didn't even know what Tenten had been through out there on her own, and he didn't even ask. He's been so angry that she was pushing this matter about his eyesight, that it had quite literally blinded him from what was really happening. What if she was right? What if she really did have an answer, or a cure? He'd just pushed her out, closed himself off from her.

"Prepare a carriage, we have to get to Kirigakure."

* * *

"Sounds like maybe you should've picked Prince Hyūga after all, Tenten." Lee said with a shrug of the shoulders after his companion had just explained the lengthy story of her journey to her prince. "Seems like the whole thing blew up in your face."

Lee was always rather blunt, but Tenten appreciated it none the less. She didn't need anyone coating her situation with sugar, she knew how bleak things looked. Maybe Lee was right, with all of the problems she was running into with this prince, she was beginning to wonder if there really was such a thing as 'true love'. It certainly didn't feel like it anymore. Her father would be happy, and she supposed that might make her happy if he was. "Maybe.." She sighed and drew her knees to her chest sadly. "I just don't think there is such a thing as a 'happy ending'. You know, you hear about these princesses who fall for these prince charming's all over the place. But that isn't true, is it Lee?"

He looked at her intently, pondering her question. He shrugged his shoulders again. "There is always hope, Tenten!"

Tenten giggled at her friend's optimistic outburst. That was another one of his assets. He was quite good at lifting even the most dreary of spirits. "Thanks, Lee."

Lee bobbed his head in a nod before squinting his dark eyes. "Hey..." He started. "That looks like a carriage, Tenten."

She too, squinted her eyes to get a better look at what Lee was pointing out. Sure enough. It was a carriage. And Tenten recognized the dark stallions from anywhere. "Lee," she started as she looked at him with wide eyes. "That is Prince Itachi's carriage!"

"He's come for you!" Lee chimed as he helped his friend up off the dirty ground. He gave her a look up and down and frowned. "Oh, Tenten you look awful."

Tenten angrily smacked Lee on the back of the head. "It's okay, he can't see me."

"Owwww!" Lee whined and rubbed the back of his head. "Well you don't smell that great either., your clothes are all sweaty."

This earned him another smack. "Gah!" Tenten spat before running as fast as she possibly could to the opposite side of her home. This was her normal routine regardless, she just had to make it fast. She climbed up the stone wall directly below her bedroom window and broke into her room. Quickly, she threw off her dirtied clothes and rushed into the powder room to get clean. There was already a warm bath waiting for her. Kurenai knew her so well.

Quickly she got into the bath and washed her body vigorously and speedily. She knew that she should be a little upset with the man and his outburst, but she wasn't. Her heart was pounding, nearly leaping from her chest just knowing that he had come for her.

"My Lady," Kurenai's voice cooed from the doorway of her bathroom. "You have a visitor." She looked at the big porcelain tub that was filled with bubbles and a red faced Tenten who looked as though she already knew. "My God, he's so handsome!"

Tenten blushed from embarrassment and excitement. "He is." She agreed as she pulled her hair down from her usual buns. She sunk down into the water until her hair was all submersed. Quickly she resurfaced and began scrubbing her hair with her sweet shampoo and submerged herself once more, rinsing away all the dirt from the training.

Kurenai had made quick work of finding her favorite Lady a lovely dress for the occasion as Tenten waddled out of the bathroom wrapped in a plush towel. "How about this one?" She said, laying a deep red gown on the bed. It was a-line and floor length, but what Tenten liked about it was that she did not have to wear a petticoat or corset in order to wear this dress. She nodded quickly and threw on simple under garments before slipping into the dress. "Your hair's wet, you can't go down there like that, Tenten!" Her maidservant yelled as she stopped Tenten from bolting out of her bedroom. "He can wait."

* * *

Sasuke had accompanied Itachi on his journey, being the only one he trusted to go along and prevent him from running into things. They'd been kindly welcomed by two chipper sounding men, Sasuke described them as very strange looking to match their overly enthusiastic personalities. They were then ushered into the foreign palace. Sasuke wasn't allowed to touch Itachi to guide him, only warn him if he was about to run into something or someone.

From what Sasuke could tells they were in a type of living area, waiting on Lord Zabuza to meet with them. Sasuke was surprised by the amount of weapons that lined the walls as decor, one particular sword stood out to him. It was enormous, probably as long as Tenten was tall, and it had a hole hollowed out of the end, with a crescent shape carved into the base right before the hilt. He'd heard of the Seven Swordsman of Kirigakure, and that sword seemed eerily similar to one depicted in the stories of those swordsmen. _It was merely a legend._ He told himself.

Itachi had been seated on a plush couch that was rather soft in texture. He heard Sasuke shuffling around. Itachi clasped his hands together nervously, wondering what he was going to say to Tenten to repair the damage that had been done. He felt guilty for treating her so poorly, be had been rude and inconsiderate, and he only realized how foolish and childish when Sasuke pointed it out. She deserved someone far better, but he was too selfish to let her try to find someone else.

"Hello, Prince Itachi, Prince Sasuke." Came the sound of Tenten's father's deep voice as he rounded the corner and joined the two in the living area of his home. "I see you're admiring my sword, Sasuke."

_So that's what had Sasuke so silent._ Itachi pondered to himself as he rose to his feet out of respect for the older man.

"Ah, y-yes." Sasuke turned to face the man with a slight bow. "It's a magnificent piece. Did you say it was yours?" He inquired, hoping he wasn't pushing too far, but he was curious about it and if those legends were actually true.

"He hasn't picked that old thing up in years." Came Tenten's familiar voice as she walked into the room and stood beside her father. She was doing a wonderful job at hiding her nervousness, but when she saw Itachi standing there with his dark eyes that searched without ceasing, his broad shoulders and well defined facial features.

Itachi dropped to his knees when he heard her voice, holding his hands out in front if her. This guestre sutorised everyone in the room, especially Tenten.

Slowly, she made her way to the man, subtly glancing at her father before taking the hands that were offered. She looked down at him, her own heart racing wildly. He seemed a little nervous, but mostly he looked sad and sorrowful. "I'm sorry." He whispered before kissing both of her hands.

Zabuza forrowed his brow, he hadn't heard of Itachi wronging Tenten in any way, so why was he apologizing? But he looked upon the strange pair and smiled all the same. He hadn't seen his daughter smile the way she did at this boy, he's never seen her light up that way. She obviously cared for this man, and Zabuza knew that she would be in good hands should she chose to marry him. He would be a great King one day.

"It's okay, please-" Tenten blushed, "Please get up." She asked a little embarrassed.

Slowly, Itachi rose to his feet and wrapped his arms around her, sighing quietly he rested his head onto her shoulder. He felt her fingertips gently run up and down his back, and he sighed again. This girl was something else, she's done something awful to his heart. He didn't usually care for anyone but himself, but that was no longer the case. And he cringed at the thought that he might've hurt her.

Sasuke watched the exchange before turning back to the weapon that was poised on the wall. Why he was so intrigued he didn't really know, but he was desperate to know.

"Let's give them some privacy, Sasuke." Zabuza said, noticing the young man's curiosity. So Sasuke gave Tenten a small nod before following the tall and mysterious man out of the living quarters.

"I want to marry you, Tenten." Itachi suddenly said, after several moments if silence had passed between the two. He pulled away from the embrace they shared and put his hands on her shoulders firmly.

"Y-you." Tenten gulped, if her heart was pounding before, it was palpitating now. Her hands shook and her eyes grew wide, she wasn't sure if he had said what he had said.

He sensed her change in body posture, she had tensed up, her breathing slowed and he felt her begin to sway a little. Gently, he steadied her. "Tenten?"

"Y-yes?" She choked up a little and leaned into his arms.

He would've dropped to one knew, but she would've fallen over because his arms were what were keeping her up. "Will you marry me Tenten, and become my queen?"


	13. Chapter 13

Hello readers! So sorry for the delay, you all know I'm busy (really I'm busy drinking) on Wednesdays lol. So sorry this is short, I wanted to get something to you as soon as I could. xoxoxo (most likely I will continue the second part of this this evening, so be on the lookout)

I DO NOT OWN NARUTO

AU

The Blind Prince

Chapter 13: The Ceremony part 1

* * *

The Uchiha palace had been bustling all morning from the moment the sun had peered over the majestic mountains of Konoha. Seemingly, it was the perfect day to be wed. It was due to be a lovely summer evening with mild weather. Today was the day that the eldest of the Uchiha Princes was to be wed to a Lady from the neighboring country of Kirigakure.

The maidservants were quick yet worked with precision as they readied the outer courts for the immaculate occasion soon to take place. Most were sullen that the poor groom wouldn't be able to see her beautiful gown that had taken Konoha's best seem stress hours upon hours to create. But they knew without a doubt that the youn prince was elated, to be marrying such a fine young lady, even though he rarely showed his emotions. It was evident in the way he began to carry himself, his vision no longer seeking to hold him back and restrict him so much.

Seemingly endless rows of chairs were lined up on either side of a beautiful cobblestone walkway where the bride would be walking toward her groom. Large satin maroon bows were tied perfectly to the back side of each of those chairs. Small lanterns lined the outer area of the aisle, and at the altar, which was a large gazebo that had been so elegantly decorated with white rose petals, feathers and more gorgeous lanterns that hung at different lengths That would illuminate the bride and groom's faces when they said their vows.

It was perfect in every way, the wedding would be absolutely lavish and beautiful.

Mikoto had been busily readying the banquet hall with decorations, table cloths, flower arrangements and the like when she spotted her soon-to-be daughter-in-law working just as hard with the centerpiece on the other end of the enormous room. Her hair was up in one large bun that was rather messy, atop her head, and she appeared to be wearing only her white, lacy corseted dress that hung down just above her ankles, no doubt her undergarments for her wedding gown. Mikoto frowned and marched over to her. "What on earth are you doing?! For one you're indecently clothed, and secondly; you should be getting ready, dear Tenten! This is a very important day for you and my son, don't be lolly gagging around!"

Tenten was taken aback by Mikoto's harsh tone, and she looked up from her impeccable focus on the centerpieces with large burgundy and white roses, sparking diamonds and feathers, and faced the dark-haired woman with an inquisitive look. "I'm only trying to help, I know that there is a lot of work to do, your highness." Tenten bowed bashfully and frowned deeply. Truly that was her only intention, she hadn't wanted to run around in her gown, it was so thick and heavy. But she wanted to do whatever she could to help out.

Mikoto's expression softened significantly as she looked at the young brunette girl. She placed a hand delicately on her hip and smiled. "I'm beginning to think you're just as stubborn as my son, aren't you?" She gently reached out and rubbed Tenten's bare arm sincerely. "Please, dear. This is your day. We have this covered, you need to prepare yourself for the big day."

* * *

"You're most likely going to pace a hole in the floor, Itachi." Sasuke warned his older brother sternly as he watched him nervously pace to and fro in his room, or designated waiting area.

He groaned, uncomfortable in his white and gold jacket that was accompanied with a burgundy sash that went from his right shoulder, across his chest and under his left arm. The shoulders of his immaculate princely choice of clothing were gold and had small tasked that hung down about a half-inch in length. His hands were increasingly growing warm in the white gloves and his dark pants felt like the constricted his movement. His velvety dark hair had been swept back into it's normal low hanging ponytail, the ends trailing past the middle of his back and whooshing back and forth as he paced.

"Well you look great." Sasuke offered in hopes of calming Itschi even ever-so slightly. Itachi answered with a small groan and he continued to walk about the small room.

Sasuke donned similar clothing to his brother, as he had to now stand out to other young Ladies in the area, he's soon be married off next. But that was the least of his worries as he continued to watch his nervous brother. He'd expect this type of behavior had Sasuke actually explained the curse to him, but he hadn't. Itachi was stubborn, and difficult to get through to, Sasuke figured it best for him to be surprised. What a fitting day for it, as well. The younger Uchiha couldn't help but feel excited for his older brother in the respect that he would be getting more than just a beautiful wife today, he would be getting his life back. And when the happy couple returned from their honeymoon, they would take the Kingdom as their own.

Itachi wasn't nervous about marrying the stubborn young girl who had herself twisted so tightly around her petite little finger, this is what he wanted. However, he would be facing the entire kingdom, as well as the majority of the kingdom from Kirigakure as an upcoming King. Certainly they didn't take very well to him because of his ailment, what type of pressure would be placed upon Tenten because of that? More than this, they would expect children from them. And multiple. He did not hate young children, rather he loathed them. He was terrible with them and often times he terrified them to Desth. But what was a King without a respectable heir to the throne? He couldn't pass as sterile, otherwise they would just suggest that Tenten conceive a child through Sasuke and Itachi would simply claim it as his own. Once more, this was more pressure that would be placed upon the young and upcoming Queen, Itachi did not like that thought.

He began to ponder wether or not young Tenten could actually handle such a daunting task. It would be difficult enough for him, let alone someone who didn't come from such royalty. It was not her fault, not in the least. It wasn't necessarily a lack of faith in her abilities, but it was a small bit of doubt on his part. He needed to make sure that she could handle it, but there was simply no time.

* * *

"My goodness, Tenten." Kurenai gaped at the young brunette girl before here, simply mystified at her unrelenting beauty as she stood in her wedding gown.

Tenten slowly turned her body to face the mirror that was directly behind her, hearing her dress shift and click when she did so. She couldn't recognize herself. Her dark hair had been teased to appear larger and even more thick than it already was, while large and loose curls cascaded down her back and bare shoulders.

The dress was what really stood out and made her state at herself in wonder, shaking her head slowly in disbelief. The entire top half of the strapless dress was a corsetcompletely fashioned out of pearls. It hugged her body snugly, her curves painfully evident and it looked as though it were her body that was covered in beautiful and carefully placed pearls. The bottom half of the dress billowed out, the soft material reassembling the fluff and billowy texture of a feather, in multitudes. How the seamstress managed to create such a work of art so advanced and sophisticated was beyond her, and she could not fathom it.

"Here." Kuranei offered as she placed a comb that was fittingly so, covered in pearls, delicately within Tenten's thick brown tresses. "You're ready now." She said, softly placing both of her hands on Tenten's shoulders from behind and taking in Tenten's beautiful figure through the mirror. "You look stunning."

Suddenly, both women were ripped from their thoughts when they heard the door creak open. Mikoto had silently walked in and her hands covered her mouth when she spotted the young girl. "Oh." She managed to get out before blinking away tears. "You, Itachi is going to faint when he sees you."

Tenten faced Mikoto with a troubled look upon her face. "Your High-"

"You may call me mother." Mikoto urged as she signaled with her hand for Tenten to continue speaking.

Tenten's cheeks pinked slightly at the woman's warm statement. She had secretly been wishing her own mother could be attending but that woman was long gone, and that was simply not possible. "M-mother," she choked out. "What if the curse doesn't break?"

"I have faith, dear Tenten, that it will..."


	14. Chapter 14

Hello, hello! Sorry that I didn't get around to writing that second part yesterday. Lots of things going on that I won't get into detail about. However, please keep me in your thoughts. I do hope you enjoy! xoxo

I DO NOT OWN NARUTO (If I did things would be much different... We'll leave that there)

AU

The Blind Prince

Chapter 14: The Ceremony- Part 2

* * *

"Calm down, I've heard it said that if it rains on your wedding day, it brings good luck!" Kurenai tried to assure the young bride as they both gazed out the window of the room she was preparing herself in. The sky had made a drastic change over the course of the last hour that Tenten had been getting ready. The weather had been warm, mild at best and only a few fluffy clouds had positioned themselves in the beautiful pastel sky.

Now low thunder was rumbling deeply in the distance, and lightning ridden clouds were ominously approaching them at a rather rapid pace. The courtyard that had once been well-lit by the summery sun had been darkened by the clouds that covered up the warm star. They still had an hour before the ceremony would commence this evening, but from the looks of it, they would never outrun the rain that was surely to come.

Tenten frowned deeply, they had made sure to pick a day where the weather wouldn't be too hot-especially for summer, or rainy either. But they had obviously miscalculated the monsoon season, because it seemed as though It was about to kick into high gear. Her main concern was Itachi. He'd been hard to read over the past few months as they planned their day. His words were few, and Tenten had began to wonder if maybe he was having second thoughts about the matter. But they had come this far, there was no reason to stop it now.

Suddenly, Mikoto who had run to check on the food that was being prepared for the innumerable amount of guests, came rushing back inside in a huff with a worrisome expression on her face. "We need to get things started a little but ahead of schedule. We've got to try and beat this storm, or everything outside will be ruined by the rain."

"But the guests, have they arrived?" Tenten asked curiously, not wanting to prolong the wedding, but wanting to keep the chaos at bay.

"Most of them, yes. What was most important was everyone from Kirigakure getting here on time, and they have. Everyone else who will be attending is already in close proximity to the Palace and they must've anticipated the storm. The seats are already filling up." She informed as she rushed to Tenten and smoothed a few unruly hairs around her face. The increasing humidity causing her curly locks to become even more curled.

"O-okay." Tenten nodded her head and gulped. It's really time, isn't it? The day had come rather fast despite the fact that they had waited almost an entire year for the big day. The wait was more or less about Itachi being prepared for leadership, learning how to be an effective and well-respected King for the Kingdom of Konoha. The devious snake hadn't reared his head during that entire span of time, and Tenten had soon put him out of her mind. She was ready now, to be wed to the man she so desperately loved. She just hoped that the feeling was mutual on Itachi's end.

* * *

Itachi had known it was going to storm far before the clouds even began to roll in. He felt it, the pressure in the air. It was another heightened sense that came along with the inability to see, that had increased over time and adapted. Today was a day that he knew he should be enthralled about, and part of him was. But another part of him wasn't. He wanted to be with Tenten so very much, but he had feared that taking over the Kingdom might prove to be too much for the young pair.

"Damn, it's not looking good out there." Sasuke stated cooly, breaking Itachi away abruptly from his whirling thought process. "The guests are being seated now."

"What? Is it already time?" Itachi nearly went into a panic mode as his dark eyes widened and his heart rate picked up slightly. His facial features, aside from his slightly surprised orbs, remained stoic and unchanging.

"There should have been another hour, but mother must've thought it best to push it up. Most likely outrunning the storm." Sasuke informed. Sasuke glanced at his brother, who on the outside looked just fine. But as his brother, and as someone so incredibly similar, Sasuke knew that a Itachi was suppressing something. He didn't know exactly what, but it was probably a little bit of everything. He wasn't one to pay many compliments, and both brothers were terrible at giving encouragement, especially to one another. But this was a time when Sasuke saw it not only quite fitting, but actually necessary. "You're going to make a fine King, Nisan." It was almost a bit forced, but regardless the words were genuine.

Itachi's ears perked. This was odd behavior coming from his brother, but perhaps the fact that the event that no one ever imagined would happen, was about to happen. Maybe Sasuke had sensed the hesitation that Itachi had about becoming Konoha's newest King? Itachi couldn't be completely sure, but he was rather thankful for Sasuke's effort to be kind. "Thank you." He managed to nod and give a small smile in the direction that he assumed his brother was still standing in.

Suddenly, a deep voice came from the doorway with an announcement. "Let's get you into place son, the wedding is about to begin."

* * *

When she spotted him on the other end of the courtyard, he took her breath away. Tenten's large chocolate eyes filled with tears that she effortlessly pushed back as she looked upon her soon-to-be husband. He looked like a prince standing there waiting patiently for her to greet him at the altar. Many other girls that were guests had a hard time taking their eyes away from how exquisitely handsome he actually was. How many times had Itachj been in public since the incident with his eyes? By the looks of the people and the quiet murmurs around, not very often.

But soon the attention of the crowd was directed at young Tenten, when the elderly minister spotted her and instructed the guests to rise to their feet in respect for the bride. Now it was her turn to be gawked at. Many guests eyes widened and the commented on her natural beauty and how lavish her dress was. She cursed the fact that she could hear them talking about her. Some mentioned that she was brave to be taking on a prince who would never see her, or their future children. When she heard those words she nearly turned to the one whom uttered it and broken their nose.

Seemingly reading what his daughter was feeling, Zabuza drew her closer to his left side and continued slowly walking her down the aisle that had been created just for her. Zabuza was seemingly an unemotional man, even more so than any Uchiha. But the first moment he laid eyes on his daughter after she had been born, he sobbed and cradled her tiny body in his arms. Today was the second time he'd ever cried, and it was once more over her.

Itachi stood at the alter, listening. He heard the crowd's chairs and feet shuffle, as their bodies turned to face his soon-to-be wife. He heard them gasp, heard them whisper about her beauty. He was envious of them, being able to see her on her most beautiful day. But deep down, he knew that they should and most likely were envying him. Despite the fact that he couldn't see her, he was still the one that had the privilege of taking her hand in marriage. He was nervous, but only within. On the outside he looked cold as a stone, facial expressions were non-existent.

Sasuke and the rest of the Royal Family sat secluded from the rest of the crowd in the front row where Zabuza would join them. Much distance separated the front row from the rest, ensuring safety and security. He watched his bother's jaw tighten and body posture straighten when Tenten began her journey down the aisle. They both looked nervous, but they were both also hiding it quite well. It would take an Uchiha to be able to read through those.

Mikoto drew near to Fugaku, Watching as their son prepared himself to be wed to a beautiful young woman. This day was one they never expected to come, and they couldn't have been more proud of their older son. He'd overcome so much, and their hopes were that the young girl would be able to lift the curse upon their son, and he would be able to see much more than just her beauty.

She had finally reached the alter where her father gently kissed her cheek, lingering there for a moment before taking a seat among the Royal Family. Tenten's heart began to beat rapidly inside her chest as she joined Itachi, standing directly in front of him and very gently taking his hands And giving them a light squeeze. Her world was spinning a little, she suddenly felt all of the eyes in the crowd burning into her, scrutinizing her every detail. Swallowing the terrifying sensation, she looked up at Itachi, who instantly gave her a feeling of security and peace. She sighed, resolving to keep her eyes on him, even though he couldn't see her.

He felt her squeeze his hands a little, which told him she was quite nervous. His eyes searched for her relentlessly as they stood there together, of course to no avail. Every once in a while he would catch glimpse of something white, but it disappeared just as quickly as it appeared. He deducted that it was just the lightning in the distance.

The minister had just concluded his lengthy and well-written speech about marriage and it's history, and it's importance. Truth be told, the two who should've been listening the most were listening the least as they were distracted by thoughts within their minds that were much louder than the minister's old, steady voice. But now had come the time for the vows. He looked in Itachi's direction, placing a firm, wrinkled hand on the boy's shoulder. "Prince Uchiha, please repeat after me." He instructed.

Itachi gave him a nod, while silently wishing the man would remove his hand from his shoulder.

"I, Prince Itachi Uchiha take you, Lady Tenten Momochi to be my wife, my queen and the lover of my life."

Slowly, he repeated the words, as genuinely as possible, but desperately trying to push those pesky emotions aside.

Tenten, on the other hand, had shed a tear or two during his part.

Their vows continued, his face finally softened when he heard her speak, he could hear a smile in her soft yet firm voice, and this made him smile in return. His heart was now the one that was pounding uncontrollably, they were nearly married. He felt the minister place a ring in his right hand, to be placed upon Tenten's left ring finger.

He was giving her his grandmother's ring, that allegedly was beautiful and the ruby center stone shone like fire, surrounded by diamonds so clear, you could almost see one's reflection. He palmed the ring before gently removing the glove on her left hand, his thumb of his opposite hand gently grazed the top of her uncovered hand gently.

She held her hand out to him, blushing and waiting as he felt her delicate fingers in her own. He got the right one, and she stared down in awe at the lovely piece of jewelry. It was her turn to place the ring onto his finger, and she delicately did so after removing his gloves. The dark metal contrasted with the beautiful fairness of his skin, much like his velvety hair or his deep onyx eyes. It suited him so well.

It was then that the minister ordered them to kiss one another, or rather; Itschi to kiss Tenten. He placed his palms on the side of her face, she responded by placing hers on his chest. His thumbs grazed her lips, directing him to his plush and soft destination. He leaned in slowly, tilting his head to the side slightly before softly placing his lips onto hers.

Their eyes fluttered closed simultaneously and the kiss intensified as Tenten snaked her arms around his neck, and he answered by wrapping his arms around her waist. Suddenly, a thick and weighty wind burst forth from the pair, warmly crashing over the crowd in a loud gust that came rather abruptly in one fell swoop.

Feeling the strange surge pour from his body, Itachi yanked away from his bride and slowly flicked his eyes open. When he did so, his eyes slowly adjusted to a picture that was before him, he saw something white, and relatively fluffy, the blur started to become more clear and visible, the more he blinked his unbelieving eyes. Then he realized what, or rather whom he was looking upon. A beautiful young woman with thick, brown tresses that reached the length of her lower back. Large and questioning brown eyes stared back at him as she searched his face for any answers. Her petite form was elegantly clad in the most beautiful ensemble he had ever.. Seen. She was the most beautiful creature that his eyes had ever been laid upon, if he were to compare to what he saw and did not recall as a very young child. A lump rose his throat as he studied this young woman carefully, taking in her every detail with his newfound eyes.

"T-tenten?" He whispered through uncertain lips as he very slowly approached her.

She watched his facial expression change a multitude of times, contorting to show what he was feeling. Fear, curiosity, questioning, disbelief and finally, lust. She saw an animalistic hunger in this dark orbs thst she was now certain he could see out of. _The curse has broken!_ She thought to herself as she rushed to him with jubilee. _Please don't let this be a dream. _She prayed silently.

His muscular arms looped around her waist and he lifted her off the ground and spun her around in astonishment as a smile crept onto his face. He stared into her deep-brown eyes for a moment before setting her down and placing a delicate kiss on her lower lip that caused her to shiver and blush .

Theit guests all rose to their feet and roared in excitement, cheering on the new pair. some of them caught on to what had taken place, others were not so observant. But The Uchiha Family knew. Mikoto, Fugaku, Sasuke. They knew, and they hugged one another happily, yanking a bewildered Zabuza into the group hug.

They had all almost forgotten about the storm that was looming above until a brilliantly vibrant flash of lightning touched down right behind the gazebo where the later had been, the roaring thunder immediately following. Thick, dark clouds encircled the entire Palace, darkening it significantly, and more clapping thunder began to ring through.

Emerging from a billowing and fast approaching fog, the Dark Lord stood before the frightened crowd. Silence befell them, as he smirked and approached the newly weds. "My, my. What a lovely pair." His strange inflections teasing their ears in a rather unpleasant manor. He smiled deviously as his hands joined together above his chest. "Congratulations."

Itachi studied the strange creature before him, glaring and instinctively standing in front of Tenten. He had a sinking feeling that something terrible was about to take place, but if so it wouldn't happen to her, there was no way he would allow it. "Who are you?"

Orochimaru was flattered and he placed a hand to his chest while the other hung down at his side. Bowing graciously, he spoke. "Why, my name is Lord Orochimaru. Once upon a time, this was _my_ kingdom." He stood, his snicker soon turning into a scowl. "And you're about to give it back." Now the rain had come, pouring down from the skies in a sudden burst.

Tenten looked at Itachi worriedly, knowing full well what this monster was capable of. She searched the crowd for her beloved friends that she had made while in the Forest of Death, and as she did she noticed nearly the entire crowd frozen in place with terrified looks upon all of their faces, unaware of the fact that rain was pouring all over them. Suddenly, Tenten let out a loud cry of pain as she doubled over and held onto her chest, gasping for air. The coloring of her normally sun-kissed face was draining away rapidly.

Orochimaru's outstretched hand began to shake slightly and he looked at the young prince. "Being the King is hard, Uchiha. What will you choose? Your Kingdom, or your beloved wife?" He smirked venomously, his pointed teeth revealed.

Itachi knelt down in a panic next to Tenten, engulfing her in his arms as she continued gasping. She was writhing with pain, her body trembling lightly. "Stop this!" He demanded as glared intensely at the dark and murderous man. "I can't give you the kingdom! It isn't mine to give!"

"I can arrange that." Orochimaru raised his other hand in the direction of the King and Queen, and suddenly, they toppled over silently, not making a peep as blood pooled underneath their bodies. "Kingdom is still yours if you want it, _Itachi_. You just have to let her die. Now that your pesky parents are out of the way, let's make a deal."

Both Sasuke and Itachi watched in horror as their parents lay on the cool bed of grass in an ever growing puddle of their own blood. Sasuke shrieked in horror and he charged Orichimaru but was abruptly stopped by Zabuza's strong arms. "You don't know what you're dealing with, boy."

Itachi growled lowly, wanting nothing more than to rip the man's throat out with his bare hands, but Tenten remained gasping for air and looking up at him with pleading eyes. Slowly, a shaking hand graced his Angry face as she slowly released a final breath. Soon, her dark eyes fluttered closed and her arm fell limply at her side.

"Tenten!" Itachi's voice cracked out as he cradled the young girl in his arms, her dark hair sticking to her face from all of the rain that had poured down upon her fragile form. "No! Bring her back, please!" He looked at Orochimaru with desperate dark eyes and he suppressed the urge to sob.

"Ah, it's much too late for that. I never intended to let you keep the kingdom. I just wanted to see you suffer as much as possible before I snatched it from you." He said before snapping his fingers and a whirling gust of smoke engulfed Itachi, Tenten Sasuke and Zabuza, surrounding them until they could not see anything an inch in front of them...


	15. Chapter 15

Well, I had hoped this would turn out to be a little bit longer, and I'm sorry it didn't! I wanted to get something out to you relatively quickly. I want to extend a warm thank you to all of my wonderful reviewers. Menie, Princesshyuuga01, ZaneWalker, Minniemousemom, Aprilknight97, Giada Luna, Reider, LilyVampire, Alexa-rlove, littleapplelovesMIC, Leia -san, secretslockedintheheart, and ALL OF THE GUESTS AS WELL! You are my pride and my joy, you are what keeps me going DESPITE the fact that Naruto has ended in a way that I don't necessarily approve of. I truly hope that it doesn't affect the way you all veiw my story. I need you all! You're absolutely fantastic! This is for you. Thank you.

I DO NOT OWN NARUTO (Yes, we know!)

_**"My mind is a warrior/ my heart is a foreigner/ my eyes are the color of red like a sunset. I'll never keep it bottled up/ And left to the hands of the coroner/ Be a true heart not a follower/ We're not done yet." **_

AU

The Blind Prince

Chapter 15: Sacrifice

* * *

Itachi stared down at his lifeless bride, completely unaware of the foriegn surroundings that had engulfed he, Sasuke, Zabuza and Tenten. She didn't budge, her eyes remained closed no matter how many times he urged her to open them. Her chest neglected to rise and fall with the breath of life that she once had, and the color from her beautiful face was completely gone. Her body was cold and limp in his arms.

He fell to his knees, cradling her head in his lap as hot tears welled up within his onyx eyes. _Please, Tenten._ He plead inwardly, unable to mutter any words. A lump grew painfully in his throat as he continued to supress the urge to cry. His heart pounded slowly in his chest as his hand gently stroked her cold face.

Zabuza gripped his chest, looking at his daughter's lifeless form laying on the forest floor, lifeless. She was gone, ripped away from him by the Dark Lord, as well as the kingdom that Itachi and Tenten were soon to inheret. He found himself regretting not forcing her to marry Neji when he should've stuck with his gut on it, but he wanted her to be happy. He never expected her joy to be cut short so soon.

Sasuke's mind was reeling, he'd just seen his parents slaughtered right before his eyes, he hadn't even the chance to have told them goodbye. Anger welled up within him and a deep seeded hunger and lust for revenge and blood soon overtook him. He clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles whitening as he did so. He looked at his brother, and knew that once he was no longer mourning the loss of his wife, he would be just as eager to exact revenge on the Dark Lord, and take back the Kingdom together, for their parents, and for Tenten. He looked to the east, where the Kingdom he grew up in that now seemed to be a thicket of black smoke. He shook his head, life would certainly never be the same for the Uchiha brothers.

"We need to get moving." He stated, breaking the silence of the other two men who were still greiving over their lost loved one. He didn't intend to come off as cold as he actually had, but it was too late now. They really had much to do, in order to take back the Kingdom.

Itachi and Zabuza both shot Sasuke looks that were capable of murder, but they didn't detur Sasuke from his determination. "I'm sorry, but it's storming and it's foolish for us to be out in the open like this."

"Give us a moment to-" Zabuza started before a thought crossed Sasuke's mind and he suddenly began walking. "Just where the hell are you going?!"

"I have an idea, but we need to hurry. And you need to bring Tenten."

"Where?" Came Itachi's low and cracking voice as he glanced in Sasuke's direction as his brother continued to walk.

"Tenten and I encountered some type of Sage while we were here and he helped her... um.. He helped her remember you when she had forgotten due to something that the Dark Lord had done to her while she was here." Sasuke tried not to go into explicit detail about what happened to Tenten back then, even though he knew that Itachi hadn't a clue about any of that. It was too lengthy to tell him the story in entirity, and knowing how the Dark Lord's curses worked, the faster they got Tenten help, the better, that is if she could be helped at all.

He assumed that the rest of the visitors that did not originate from Konoha must've been swept away from the wedding, like he and the other's had, the only reason they had gone along as well was because the Dark Lord wouldn't want them anywhere near his newly reclaimed Kingdom. This left all of the villagers that remained under the reign and rule of a maniacal Lord.

Itachi looked at Sasuke, the boy he hadn't seen in so many years and stared breifly. He was amazed at how grown up he looked. His face no longer carried that childish innocince, instead it was firm, well defined and.. worn. He swallowed a lump in his throat before nodding and slowly standing up, lifting Tenten in the process and holding her in his arms. "She's experienced him before, the Dark Lord?"

Sasuke gave him a quick nod. "Yes, and I think that we can find a way to help her, and get our Kingdom back."

Itachi still found himself staring at Sasuke. Everything had happened so fast, he hadn't the chance to take anything in, other than seeing Tenten fall to her death. He was feeling a vast mixture of emotions, from sadness and dispair to pride and thankfulness toward his brother. There had been no time to ask how on earth his vison was suddenly restored, or what type of encounter Tenten really had with the Dark Lord. But he had some type of inclination that the fact that he lost and regained his vision had something to do with the Dark Lord, and with Tenten. He glanced at Zabuza who gave a knowing nod slowly, trusting that he and his brother knew what they were talking about.

"You're right, maybe the Sage that helped us before, can once again help us." He looked to Itachi. "There is still hope."

* * *

There was no sun, and no moon,The forest was so dark it was difficult to see two feet in front of one's self, but rather a strange type of mist that oddly enough illuminated the floors of the forest just enough. The diffuculty to see didn't seem to affect Sasuke or Itachi as they pressed on. Thankful that the rain had finally passed. They had been walking for several hours silently, But Sasuke could Tell that Itachi was growing weary, and Tenten's weight was beginning to take a toll on him. Zabuza had offered to carry her for a while, but Itachi did not want to burden him, for he was older and probably couldn't carry her for long periods of time.

"Zabuza, you remember where that small cottage was, right?" Sasuke inquired, looking at the tall man.

Zabuza nodded confidently. "Absolutely. We're about two hours away."

"You lead the way, then. I'll carry Tenten for a bit." Sasuke offered, making sure to give Zabuza some type of task so that he didn't feel useless, but he was really trying to help his brother out.

Itachi was rather tired from carrying his bride all that way, but he was reluctant to hand her off. But seeing the look of concern in his brother's eyes made him reevaluate his logic, and slowly, he handed the girl off to his brother and drank in the sight.

Sasuke took her with ease, carefuly cradling her in his arms. This felt a little foreign to him, as he had never really been close with a female before. He looked at Tenten as though she were some type of extention of Itachi. After all, she had been the one to change so many things about his older brother it was simply unreal. Aside from this, she was the one who had restored his vision and broken the curse that was upon him after so many years.

They pressed on, Zabuza leading them, Sasuke in the middle, holding Tenten, and Itachi closely followed behind. He found himself wondering the truth of what had happened, a stirring and a longing to know the facts sank deep within the pit of his stomach as he watched his younger brother carry his lifeless bride throught the woods to an unknown location. "Tell me what happened, tell me everything you know." His voice came suddenly, causing Sasuke to glance back at Itachi over his shoulder.

"It's a long story, Itachi. It's best if we get Tenten the help that she needs first." Sasuke responded as he turned away from Itachi and continued looking forward.

This frustrated Itachi to some degree, he had finally had a chance to let everything set in. The fact that he could see, the fact that his parents were dead, and the fact that Tenten too, was dead. But those pieces did not fit together because he didn't have _all_ of the facts. He needed to know, and desperately. "Can we not walk and talk? You heard Zabua say it would be two hours, is the story so long it exceeds that time?"

Sasuke let out an exhasperated sigh and glanced back at his brother yet again, he knew this time would come, and by God Itachi deserved to know. Certainly the fact that he could see once more must mean he was willing to accept the truth as truth, how likely was it that he just so happened to regain his vision the moment he was wed to Tenten? Maybe he was ready to know what really happened after all.

"A long time ago, before mom and dad even had the Kingdom as their own, the man who killed them did. His name is Orochimaru. I don't know the extent of it, I just know that his kingdom was overthrown by an Uchiha, and this is how we enherited the Kingdom." Sasuke began as they continued walking.

Itachi listened intently as his brother explained, trying to catch every detail and keep it in his mind so that he could understand the strange events that had happened to them.

Sasuke went on, keeping Tenten's body close to his own so that he would not drop her. "It tuns out, the Dark Lord has been working hard to get revenge on our family, and thus he has. But that revenge included your blindness."

"My blindness? It had something to do with.. him?" He looked at the back of his brother's head with an inquisitive and confused look contorted onto his normally stoic face. All that time he had thought that his blindness had been something that was caused by genetics, some type of degenerative disease that just could not be cured. But what was Sasuke insinuating? That his lack of vision was some type of curse?

"Yes, it had everything to do with him. He caused it by cursing you so that you would self destruct. But like all curses, they can be broken, and in your case, Tenten is what or rather who broke yourse." Sasuke informed.

Itachi stared at Tenten's lifeless body as it swayed slightly while Sasuke continued to walk. _So when she told me that there was a way to restore my vison, she was telling the truth._ He pondered as realization set in. His heart sank, recalling how harsh he mustve sounded when she was only trying to be genuine and help him. _And now look at her. _

"And she paid the ultimate price." Came a low voice seeming to be coming from a figure just a few feet in front of the. After a moment, the mist around them cleared and it revealed the Sage that they had been looking for. Jiraiya stood there looking at the trio of men who carried the young girl.

Itachi looked at the man with an uncertain glare, and walked ahead of Sasuke and Tenten and stood protectively in front of them.

"What's with him? Did he not see me at the cere- ohh.." Jiraiya scratched his head and chuckled. "Of course not."

Itachi let out a low growl and glared even more intensly at the white haired man before him.

"Don't you worry that pretty little head of yours, I'm a friend of Tenten's. Why don't you all come inside."

* * *

Like Sasuke had predicted, the Sage Jiraiya and his companion Kakashi had both been swept up with the strange colored smoke and returned to their home in the forest of Death. They had seen everything that had happened to the Uchiha King and Queen, and the tragic death of the beloved Lady Tenten before being whisked away.

Jiraiya ordered Sasuke to lay Tenten carefullly on a bed in the back room of his small cottege where he examined the young bride very meticulously. Certainly, the life had been drained from her, and there was not a curse upon her at all. She had long since passed, she was dead. Sighing he looked about his small, dimly lit room for some type of answer while the three men that had acompanied the beautiful corpse waited out in the dining area with the scarecrow.

In order to bring Tenten back would require a great sacrifice, and he just needed to know how great. Digging deep into a small hope chest that rested at the foot of the bed, he finally found what he was eagerly searching for. "Ah-ha." He husked as he blew the thick layer of dust off of the tome in his aging hands.

He walked over to a small desk in the corner of the room and he began to look through the tome, searching for the answer. His eyes began to grow tired and strained from searching so thoroughly, until he finally stumbled across what he was looking for. Standing, he placed the book down gently on the desk and walked back out to the living area where Zabuza, Sasuke and Itachi waited anxiously in the company of Kakashi.

All of them turned their gaze to the man as he spoke with certainty. " There is but one way to bring her back."

Itachi gulped, praying that it wasn't to be his life in exchange for hers for selfish reasons, because he wanted to be _with_ her. Not apart, but he would gladly change places with her should that be the only way. "Tell me." He husked.

"You'll have to sacrifice your vision, permanently..." He replied, locking eyes with Itachi.

There was no hesitation on Itachi's part. This was something that he was more than willing to sacrifice. He stood to his feet and looked at Jiraiya intensely. "I'll do it."

"Good, then come with me." Jiraiya responded.

Itachi turned to face his younger brother, who had stood to his feet as well. He smiled a rare smile and placed the palm of his hand upon Sasuke's cheek, gazing into his younger brother's eyes. "You grew up into a fine young man." His eyes studied Sasuke's face meticulously, taking into concideration every detail so that he would never forget. He wanted this imaged burned so deeply into his mind that anytime he closed his eyes, he saw this.

Sasuke inwardly applauded Itachi for his willingness to sacrifice, but the price wasn't as steep as he suspeced it to be. Of course Itachi would go to the ends of the earth to save Tenten, giving up the thing he never really had in the first place, well that was simple. But what struck him, were those piercing eyes that stared back at him. It had been years since his brother actually looked at him. Sasuke felt somthing welling up within him that made him slightly nauseated. He knew what Itachi was doing, he was desperate to remember Sasuke's face. This cut to the heart of Sasuke, and he quickly jerked his face away from Itachi's hand.

Itachi gave one more smile to his younger brother before ruffling his silky black hair and looking at his father-in-law sternly. "I'll get her back."

Zabuza and Itachi exchanged a knowing look before Itachi retreated into the back room with the Sage.


	16. Chapter 16

Hi! I'm sorry that some of you felt like the last chapter was my last chapter was the concluding chapter. It certainly wasn't and neither is this one! :D I just wanted to give my amazing reviewers the credit they deserve. I'm so sorry this isn't that long.

I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!

_"See, I'm real, I do it all, it's all me, /I'm not fake, don't ever call me lazy/I won't stay put, give me the chance to be free/Suffolk sadly seems to sort of suffocate me..."_

AU

The Blind Prince

Chapter 16: Sacrifice

* * *

Itachi followed the white-haired sage into the dingy room where he saw Tenten's lifeless form laying rather peacefully in an old and warn out bed. Her dark hair was matted and tangled due to the rain and the journey, and her poor and beautifully immaculate wedding gown had been stained with dirt and was starting to slide down off of her body. He regretted the fact that he never gave her the chance to tell him that this is what he could have looked forward to. He regretted the fact that he couldn't see her breathtaking beauty one last time. Instead, he would be seeing her at her worst. Pale, dirty and lifeless.

"Take one last look." Jiraiya instructed as he flipped through his tome of what Itachi assumed to be spells of some sort. "You will never see her again."

Itachi held his breath and looked down at Tenten, circling the room to stand by her side. Still, even at her worst she was beautiful. It didn't matter to him that he wouldn't be seeing her. He fell for her without ever having seen her before. The fact of the matter was that she would be could hold her again, kiss her, tease her make her angry. Provoke her enough until she slapped him. That's all he wanted. He'd lost everything else. He lost his mother, his father, his home and his kingdom. If he could get Tenten back he knew without a shadow of a doubt that he could be more than content with that.

"Are you ready?" The sage asked in a low, almost ominous tone.

Itachi glanced at him and shook his head before taking Tenten's cold and stiff hand in his own and kissing it. "I'm so sorry I never listened to you. I was so closed minded before. This is my own fault, and I will make this right. I'm just asking that you forgive me for what I have to do to do so." He whispered to her quietly while brushing her dark locks away that had been caked her forehead to better see her face. "I'm ready." He gulped, refusing to look away from Tenten. She was the last thing he wanted to see, nothing and no one else would suffice.

It was then that Jiraiya instructed Itachi to keep hold of Tenten's hand and began to mumble something under his breath that Itachi strained his ears to understand. He was nervous, hoping that whatever this strange man had in mind, that it would work. He just wanted Tenten back at any cost.

Suddenly, as he was struggling to keep himself from blinking, he felt as though something hot had grabbed hold of his eyes and yanked them violently from their place. He was surrounded by darkness, and consumed with unbearable pain as he sunk to his knees and let out a blood curdling cry. Desperately he tried to remember the features of Tenten's face as if to bring himself some type of solace through the immense amount of pain that was wracking through his body. Slowly, that immense pain began to dissipate.

Warmth had begun to flood her body, from the soles of her feet and working it's way upward all the way to the top of her head and suddenly, Tenten gasped deeply and desperately for air and the color had returned to her face. She forced herself to sit up and she looked to her right where Itachi was down on his knees and panting frantically, beads of sweat trickling down his temples. Panic flooded her, as she remembered the events that had taken place right before her.. Death. "Itachi?"Tenten whispered through trembling lips.

Her voice rang through his grateful ears and his heart leapt out of his chest. "It really worked?" He asked quietly, tilting his head upward in the direction of her voice. He felt her warm hand fall gently into his cheek as her thumb stroked his skin softly.

She could tell by the fact that he was neglecting to make eye contact with her, that he could no longer see her. And she wondered if he'd ever seen her at all. What was missing? She couldn't be sure. "What happened?" She whispered softly.

Jiraiya looked at the two fondly, thanking the stars fervently that the young girl had been brought back to life. He knew that they needed privacy, so he excused himself and joined the others outside in the living area.

Upon seeing Jiraiya emerge, Sasuke stood to his feet and looked at him sternly with a demanding expression. "What happened?! I heard Itachi screaming."

"Of course that type of process is painful. But he's fine, and the girl has been revived."

* * *

"So, the Dark Lord completely succeeded? He has the Kingdom, your mother and father are gone and you-" Tenten choked on her tears, what a whirlwind this had all truly been. Itachi had been gracious enough to fill her on everything that had happened after she had been killed, if was even stranger to think that she had been killed by the Dark Lord. But all of their hard work, breaking the curse it had been for naught. Itachi still couldn't see. "You can't see." She whispered.

Itachi delicately reached for her face, cupping it in his hands once he found it. "But I have you." He whispered gruffly, sorrowful that he could no longer see her precious face. It was a shamed but worth it all the same. "And together you and I can restore the Kingdom. _Our_ Kingdom."

Tenten leaned into his touch, thankful she had been returned to him and for his gentleness. She was more than heart broken that Itachi's vision had been taken away from him as soon as he had found it, but she realized that if it weren't for his sacrifice, she would still be dead. It hadn't felt like much time had passed, it almost felt like she had just risen from a nap. "How do you propose we do that, Itachi?"

"We do it together, and we take back what is rightfully ours." He assured, gently leaning in and blindly kissing her face. Landing somewhere he presumed to be her lower cheek.

Tenten was touched deeply that Itachi had sacrificed so much for her, and aside from that he was willing to fight with her to reclaim the Kingdom that was rightfully theirs. But she wanted more than that, she wanted what was rightfully his. And that was his vision. She knew how touchy he was with that subject, and she didn't want to push it. But she resolved to secretly search for anything that might help. She smiled softly when he kissed her cheek, and she ran her fingers through his hair in reciprocation.

"Together it is." She chimed.

Itachi's lips turned up into a smile and a sigh escaped his opened lips. "Good." He said before realizing that her lips had crashed into his. His cheeks pinked just a bit and he closed his eyes, and kissed back.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and felt his hands firmly grip her hips and lift her slightly as he stood to his feet and turned his body. Slowly, he sat down on the bed, placing her gently in his lap, not once breaking that kiss.

Tenten's stomach fluttered with butterflies and her heart felt as though it skipped a beat at his sudden movements. But she craved more, more of him especially considering the circumstances. Her dark eyes snapped open when she felt him gently bite her lower lip, and something stirred inside of her.

Itachi could not be blamed for his actions, how could he not act on his feelings after regaining the woman he had grown more than find of. He knew this was bad timing, and knew there were others waiting for her but it couldn't be helped.

But his intentions were not fulfilled. The door to the room swung open and he heard someone walk in, approaching the two. "Tenten!" Came her father's desperate voice.

"Father!" Tenten cried and leapt down from Itachi's lap.

He felt cold after that, frowning inwardly. He heard them exchange greetings and he assumed they probably hugged before Zabuza directed his attention to his new son-in-law.

"You did it." Came Zabuza's voice. "You saved our girl."

"I think-" Itachi started, "I think she saved me."

Sasuke hated to admit that he was enthralled to find that Tenten was alive and well, so to put it simply, he wouldn't. "Now that this is settled, it's time we take back the Kingdom and avenge our parents."


	17. Chapter 17

Hello readers! Guess what!? I'm updating in a Wednesday! How rockin' is that!?

"_I put my job over everything  
Except my family and friends  
But you'll be in between forever  
So I guess we'll have to take a step back  
Overlook the situation  
Cause mixing business and feelings will only lead to complications"_

I DO NOT OWN NARUTO

AU

The Blind Prince

Chapter 17: Legendary

* * *

There was no doubt, taking the Kingdom back from the Dark Lord would not be easy, or pleasant. But Sasuke and Itachi were more than determined to get it done, no matter what it took to get them there. Their parents innocent blood had been shed in vain, and they were going to avenge them.

Jiraiya looked about the room with uncertainty, and a bit of hesitation. "You're not going to be able to defeat him on your own." His voice rang out, shattering what confidence the brothers had in themselves and each other. "He's far more powerful than you or I or anyone for that matter. He uses magic, dark magic might I add. This can't be defeated with swords and a good hunger for revenge."

"I'll help however I can." Came the scarecrow's voice, as they sat around the table in the kitchen area.

Tenten had been kind enough to make tea for the group while they discussed things, and once it was served, she snuck quietly into the Sage's back room unnoticed, in order to look for any answers.

"You don't have much magic, Kakashi. But some is better than none." Jiraiya noted. "My fight with him is no more, this battle belongs to you so I will not be helping you further.

Sasuke frowned deeply, and looked at his brother who seemed to be deep in thought. "So what do you suggest we do then, Sage." The manor in which he said 'Sage' was venomous and resentful.

Jiraiya took one look at Sasuke

And shook his head. "Your anger can be detrimental to you and your family, don't let it get out of control, boy." He retorted, using the same emphasis while calling the younger Uchiha a boy.

"Despite my younger brother's eagerness to avenge my parents, I agree with him. So what is it that we need to do in order to reclaim our Kingdom?"

"You'll need to train yourselves up, fight magic with magic. I cannot teach you, but there is one who can." He informed, almost secretively as he leaned in close and lowered his voice. "Her name is Tsunade."

* * *

Tenten looked quietly through book after book for some type of spell that would give Itachi his sight back, but she couldn't find a single thing. Her own eyes we're growing tired of reading, and she began to grow frustrated. _There must be something! _She forced herself to keep looking, searching deeper into older books that she found laying on the shelves or tucked away behind other books. She heard them mumbling outside about getting the Kingdom back, when she heard the mention of dark magic. _Maybe that's the answer!_ She thought eagerly to herself as she continued to search.

She knelt down in front of the book shelf and looked through the old pieces of literature that had been saturated and covered in an inch of dust. She held her breath and looked very tediously when something strange caught her eye. It was a small book, probably one third the size of all the rest, but what stood out about it was it's dark leather binding, and the metal latch that locked it closed only to be opened with a specific key.

She reached down and grabbed the book curiously, as quickly as she could so that no unsuspecting spiders jumped out at her. She stood to her feet quickly, nearly tumbling forward after stepping on her wedding dress. _I'll have to find some other clothing._ She resolved to herself as she looked over the book carefully.

Tenten took the palm of her hand and brushed the dust away before blowing the remaining particles off of the strange and almost eery binding. She knew it was locked, but she had to try. She grabbed hold of the latch and tried to separate it from the lock, using all her strength, but it simply would not budge. She sighed, exasperated before a voice boomed behind her and caused her to drop the book immediately and whip around.

"Just what do you think you are doing, snooping around my things?" Jiriaya asked, crossing his arms and looking at her sternly.

"I-I..."

"I know you wanna help your prince, but it's too late for that." He assured, making his way over to the scared and bewildered female. His eyes trailed down her body to the floor, where he noticed a very specific book upon the floor. His eyes widened in shock and darted back up to her. "What are you doing with that!?"

"I thought it might help Itachi!" She squeaked out, looking at him nervously. His chipper personality had somehow vanished and disappeared.

"This is dangerous! If you had opened of, you would've been in deep trouble." He said, kneeling down and scooping up the book. "Do yourself a favor and stay out of trouble, and that includes staying out of my personal things!"

Tenten swallowed a lump in her throat and nodded rapidly. "I'm s-sorry."

"What's wrong, is Tenten causing trouble?" Zabuza's voice came from behind Jiraiya as he stood in the doorway. His expression was stern and protective, and his question was more of a threat toward the old Sage more than anything else.

"As a matter of fact,-" The white haired man started before the young girl, and only female in the small cottage spoke.

"I was just leaving." She said in a hurry as she scurried past both men and back out to the kitchen area.

Kakashi and Sasuke gave her both inquisitive looks while Itschi's ears perked upon hearing her. They all must've heard the exchange between she and the Sage. Sasuke smirked at her and shook his head, while Kakashi gave an unseen sympathetic look with a shrug of his shoulders.

Itachi held his hand out, hoping she would come and take it, and she did. "We are leaving this evening." He informed her as his thumb grazed the top of her soft hand gently.

"What, we are?" She inquired, looking down at him then back at Sasuke and Kakashi.

Zabuza emerged from the doorway and joined them around the table. "We have a journey ahead of us."

"But where?" Tenten frowned, agitated that no one seemed to want to tell her exactly where they were going.

"There's a stable behind the cottage, the horses will be my contribution. But that us all." Jiraiya informed. "Now gather your things and go, you've overstayed your welcome."

* * *

Tenten followed Sasuke and Kakashi out to the stables while holding Itachi's hand and leading him carefully, while Zabuza walked behind. There were four stallions, all white, waiting for them there, saddled and ready to go. This meant Tenten would probably have to share, and or steer the horse for Itachi. She wondered if that might hurt his pride, but no matter. What needed to be done, needed to be done. She only wished that the Sage would've been kind enough to have lent her some clothing, but something had gotten into him.

He used to be fun, charming, and extremely perverted. Too close for comfort was always his motto. He laughed a lot, and smiled even more! Things were oddly suspicious about his behavior, but there was nothing Tenten could do.

She watched Itachi mount the horse beautifully, like he had most certainly done it before. He was awfully brave for it, riding blindly. He offered his hand to her, stretching it low enough for her to take it, at least his perception of low. He couldn't be sure if it was until she took it and he hoisted her up in front of him, nuzzling his chin into the crook of her neck and wrapping his arms around her waist while holding into the reigns. "Just let me know if we're about to hit a tree." He teased quietly in her ear, causing her to shudder ever-so-slightly. His body being so close to hers caused her stomach to flip flop and fill up with butterflies, she could feel his hot breath on the skin of her neck, and she leaned closer to him for warmth.

After the rest of the their rag-tag team had mounted their horses, they were off, The Scarecrow leading the way. Off to meet the mysterious Lady Tsunade, Legendary Lady Tsunade.

From the way Jiraiya spoke of her, Itachi assumed she was quite powerful, but he perceived more than this. The man's attitude changed drastically after her name had been brought up. Certainly there was more to their story than he let on at all. He held onto Tenten tightly, keeping her close to him. She felt a tad but cold, but no where near the icy feeling she had when she was lifeless, and he was more than grateful that she was okay. He kept doing his best to envision her face, as well as his younger brother's, desperate to keep them close to his memory and his heart.

* * *

The place where they arrived was absolutely gorgeous. The Scarecrow had lead them through the forest, and they were all exhausted from the three hour journey. Tired and hungry, but mostly tired. But when they saw the beautiful and brightly lit home, their hope and energy began to be restored. It was a large cottage with a cobblestone finish, a large chimney that was puffing out smoke, and windows that bright, warm light shone through. The front door was large, tall and painted a woodsy color green.

There were several other little cottages behind this one, seeming to be empty and unused. It looked as though this was some type of hotel, and possibly a tavern judging by the loud and folky music that poured from the building and filling the weary traveler's ears.

Tenten had carefully climbed down from the horse, just barely looking up to see a Itachi blindly jumping down, she was continually astonished at his ability to function, little did she know she was the main cause of his bravery.

They had all just barely gotten down from their steeds when the large green door swung open with a loud creak, and light poured out of the building and illuminated the faces of the travelers. After their eyes had adjusted, of course excluding Itachi's, they noticed a blonde woman standing there with a very low cut gray tunic and a green overcoat. Her large breasts spilled out of the tunic, barely covered. Her feet were held up by dark colored sandals with a slight heel, and straps that reached her ankles, and her pants were a dark blue color. Her hair was a honey blonde color, and her eyes were a light golden brown. She was simply gorgeous, and she took Tenten's breath away.

When the busty woman laid eyes on Kakashi, she leapt from the threshold of the door and embraced him in an awkward hug where his face rested right atop her large bosom. "Why, I haven't seen you in quite some time, Kakashi!" She said as she ruffled his already wild white locks. "I see you're no longer stuffed with straw!"

Kakashi was flustered, he stammered when he spoke but he pointed at the young bride. "She broke the curse that was upon me."

Tsunade released Kakashi rather abruptly, causing him to topple over and she walked to Tenten with wide eyes that remained fixated on the brunette. Her face paled and she stretched her hands out to Tenten, cupping her round face within them. "It's you." She whispered with a shaky voice.


	18. Chapter 18

Hey there! Sorry this one isn't quite as long either, I'm away from home so my time is limited. However, due to the content, I don't think you will mind. :3

I DO NOT OWN NARUTO

_"Darling hold me in your arms the way you did last night. And we'll lie inside for a little while. I could look into your eyes until the sun comes up and we're wrapped in light, in life, in love. Put your open lips on mine and slowly let them shut, for the're designed to be together oh, With your body next to mine our hearts will beat as one. We're set alight, we're afire love."_

AU

The Blind Prince

Chapter 18: One

* * *

Tenten looked up at the busty woman with a curious and confused look upon her face. Somehow, she felt a strange familiarity, like she had known this woman or possibly seen her before, but she couldn't place it. Why the woman was reacting to Tenten the way she was, was another mystery in and of itself.

"Come inside," The blonde woman said with a hearty chuckle. "I'll tell you what you need to know." She released Tenten and patted her atop her head before turning on her heel and going to the door, holding it open for her guests.

Tenten walked to Itachi and took his hand gently as the others shuffled in. "You okay?" She asked curiously.

"I'm perfect." He said quietly, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "Shall we go inside, you feel cold?"

"Yes, let's." She offered, walking inside the hospitable woman's home with her husband. It felt odd to think of him that way, but they hadn't the chance yet to even celebrate their marriage, let alone consummate it. She blushed brightly at the thought but she didn't have much time to think about it.

Her eyes scanned the home. It was lovely, earthy and cosy. Immaculately clean and. Absolutely tile floors were a deep, burnt orange color and the walls were creme with a few photos and elegant decorative pieces placed delicately and carefully. It was more than a home, it was a place for people to gather. Rich, hearty music filled her ears and she saw several people sitting at what appeared to be a bar, drinking merrily and laughing amongst themselves.

They each had story to tell, Tenten was sure but right now they seemed to be washing their worries away with good company, good ale and good music. But when she and her rag-tag team entered into the home, all eyes were suddenly fixated upon them. Especially upon Tenten in her dirtied and tattered wedding gown.

Tsunade shot the guests at the bar a nasty vicious look before turning to her newest guests. "I realize that you're all exhausted from your journey. I'll get you all rooms so you can get rested up and we can discuss the serious matters in the morning."

* * *

Tsunade had been gracious enough to show the others to their rooms, each one very thankful for her kindness and hospitality. Itachi and Tenten had the nicest of rooms, it was one of the tiny cottages outside the main cottage.

The doors were glass, and beautiful, and when you stepped inside, you felt the warmth from the fireplace that was wedged into the wall on the left. On the right was a large mohogany dining table that sat across from a small sized kitchen area. The smooth red-brick floor stood out against the lighter colored walls. Light creme furniture was placed in the center of the room, and against the very back wall was the king-sized bed draped with a white bedspread with lovely lavender filigry and gold tassles on the bottom. There was a large bath area, with marble floors and a claw-footed bathtub that served as the beautiful centerpiece. It was spectacular. Tenten's heart only longed for Itachi to be able to see its beauty.

"Have a good evening you two!" Tsunade winked slyly before turning to leave. "Oh! Dear Tenten, there are clothes in that dresser beside the bed. Please use them at your disposal." She informed before taking her leave this time.

Tenten closed the door behind her and rested her back against it. It felt cool upon her bare shoulders, reminding her of how uncomfortable she really was in that dress. She glanced over at Itachi that she had placed on the small couch in the center of the room. He seemed a little uncomfortable as well.

"Tenten," He husked, causing her to jump a little. "Come here."

She shook her thoughts away and slowly walked to him, bare feet colliding softly with the cool brick floors. His body seemed to be a little rigid against the couch, she assumed because he couldn't see anything around him, and wasn't sure where she was just yet.

He heard her approaching, and when her footsteps ceased, he reached out in front of him slowly until his fingertips grazed something strange and firm feeling, like tiny rocks in a perfect pattern, then he remembered her dress. His hands trailed down and rested on her hips and his gaze traveled upward as if he were searching for her. His eyes flinched with a few rapid blinks when he felt her soft hand carress his cheek. He took one of his hands and placed it atop hers that had rested on his cheek, and he grabbed hold of it, forcing it to his mouth where he kissed the outside of her hand gently.

His hands trailed back up to her waist where he grabbed firmly and pulled her down to him. She ended up straddling his lap, blushing furiously as her dress rode up behind her, covering his lap and the rest of the cushions on the couch. She noticed him leaning close to her, so she leaned in as well and captured his lips with her own, desperately yet timidly. She was a little afraid, but her desire for him only continued to magnify, especially when his hands trailed underneath her dress, fingertips exploring the fabric of her underclothes.

Tenten blushed furiously, as their kiss intensified. Her fingers tangled into his silky black tresses, freeing them from the band that had held them in one place. His hair fell around his shoulders and back in a swoop, and she caught the scent of his musk. Despite all the traveling, he still smelled quite lovely,woodsy and masculine. Her hands found his chest, as they ran up and down it slowly, before she felt his arms scoop her up and he stood. She squeaked quietly, and directed him to the bed where he slowly lay her down.

She propped herself up on her elbows and looked up at him, he seemed a little confused and possibly unsure until his expression changed again. This one was hungry, lustful and passionate. Slowly, he leaned down, searching for her by the sounds of her heavy breathing. And when he found her, he captured her face in his palms, and took her lips with his own. Furiously their lips and tongues faught for dominence, hands roaming each other's bodies as they did so.

Finally they parted for air, and Itachi pulled Tenten's body up to his, and when she was holding onto him, his hands trailed down her back and he began to untie the back of her dress, long fingers slowly removing the silky material that held the pearly corset in place. It didn't take him long at all, and soon she was free. Her rib cage could finally expand enough to get a deep breath of air, and that she did. Slowly, he removed the dress completely from her body, feeling the cottony material of her underclothes. "May I?" He asked lowly, tinkering with the bottoms of the underclothes.

Tenten swallowed a nervous lump in her throat and she managed to speak finally. "Yes." Was all that she could whisper, and soon her body slowly grew cold with the lack of clothing. Her heart was pounding furiously, her bare chest rising and falling with the movements of her breath. He couldn't see her, but that did not make her feel any less exposed to him. She felt a strange stirring in her abdomen, and a small warmth grow between her legs that she had never experienced before in her life.

She watched him withdraw from her, standing up and removing his jacket, tossing it to the floor before he removed his shirt and threw it elsewhere. His body was a masterpiece, so perfectly shaped. His broad shoulders and collar bones that were rather prominent covered by silky strands of black velvety hair. His pectoral muscles were defined, and his abdominal muscles even more so. His pants sat low on his hips, causing Tenten to grow more enticed and aroused. She sat up slowly, and placed her hands on his stomach before trailing them down and grabbing the edges of his pants.

Itachi was a little surprised at her boldness, but it only caused him to want her more. His heart thumped in his chest when he felt her continue to pull the remainder of his clothing off. His body ached for her, and he could hardly wait another moment to be with her, to take her, every ounce of innocence she had left would belong to him.

She felt his strong hands fall upon her bare shoulders, gently tracing her neck before diving down and cupping her bare breasts in both of those hands and sqeezing them. He leaned in and trailed kisses on her neck, pushing her down onto the bed on her back. Slowly, but gently he placed small bites along the skin of her neck before his hands once more trailed downward, and his kisses soon followed.

Soon his warm, open mouth was hovering over one of her breasts as his finger tips drew light, feather-like circles on both of her thighs, causing her to gasp and shudder. Instinctually, her back arched, bushing her left breast into his mouth where he let out a hungry moan. Her hands wove into his hair and tugged rather roughly, as her desire for him only grew.

But Itachi was teasing her, only making her longing for him more intense. His fingers dipped down onto the skin of her inner thighs and they slowly snaked upward to her womanhood before retreating away. Each time he did this, he would gently bite onto her hardened nipple and she would let out a gasp and a cry for him to continue, only to be disappointed by his teasing. This wasn't just for her, he couldn't see her so this meant he would drink up every moment by touching her, feeling her and listening to the sounds she made when he did so.

She groaned, growing more impatient with him, as he continued to tease her unfairly. "Itachi.."She whined his name, running her fingertips down his back slowly.

"Mhm.." His response came between kisses being trailed to her other breast.

"P-pl-" She gasped loudly when her request had been granted before having the chance to utter it. His slender fingers had found her sweet spot and had slithered within her, causing her to grimace in pain and writhe in pleasure at the same time. His free hand gripped her free breast tightly and she arched her back and tried to suck in some air.

"Hm." Came his response as his kisses moved back up her chest, neck, and jawline until they found her open lips and crashed down onto them. He gently bit her lower lip, slowly withdrawing his fingers from her cave and then she felt his hardened member gently rest at her opening.

She whimpered quietly, terrified for a moment until he softly whispered in her ear, assuring her that it would be okay. She was astonished at his gentlness, and at the fact that he was much more confident than she when it came to this, and he couldn't see a thing. But as scared as she was, she was also eager for him to be a part of her, she wanted him desperately. And that is precicely what she recieved.

His body connected with hers in a way she never imagined as he plunged his member deep inside of her, she gasped and let out a cry of pain, that slowly melted into oblivion and she found herself moaning and gasping out his name. Her fingernails trailed violently down his back as he thrusted, rather roughly into her.

She brought her knees up a bit, and wrapped her legs completely around his waist, raising her hips to match his motions. Her dark eyes rolled back as warmth flowed from her body, completely blown away by this new sensation she was feeling...


	19. Chapter 19

Hi! So, so sorry for the delay, and for the shortness of this chapter. I've been diligently working on the sequel to my longest story ever, and it's been taking up a good chunk of my time. However, I will not abandon this story. I love you all.

-Tifa

_"But I've got no plans at all to leave/ Would you take away my hopes and dreams/ and just stay with me? All my senses come to life/ while I'm stumbling home as drunk as I/ Have ever been and I'll never leave again."_

I DO NOT OWN NARUTO

AU

The Blind Prince

Chapter 19: The Key

* * *

She woke up to a sensational warm feeling engulfing her body and strong arms pulling her close as her back faced his chest. She felt her heart rate accelerate when he nuzzled his face against the bare skin of her neck and she had recalled the events of the night before. Her body ached all over, but her heart was glad. She smiled subtly to herself as she shifted her body to face his.

His onyx eyes were closed lightly and his velvety hair was strewn around the pillows and covering the majority of his masculine face. His mouth hung open slightly and he was snoring very lightly. Tenten knew he was fast asleep. Slowly, she forced her palms into the bed and sat up slowly, Itachi's muscular arms sliding off of her torso. She held her breath, in hopes that he hadn't been disturbed. When she was sure he was still fast asleep, she slowly climbed out of the bed and walked toward the washroom.

The cool air of the washroom hit her naked skin and caused goosebumps to form all over her body. Shivering, she quickly turned on the water to the bath, desperate to get the smell of death and traveling off of her. She subtly bounced up and down as she waited for the water to fill the tub enough for her to get clean, and when it finally did, she sighed happily and got into the warm water, slowly easing her body into the tub.

Instant relief washed over her and she lay her weary head on the ledge of the tub, her long tresses nearly touching the floor. She closed her eyes momentarily, her curiosity about how or what this mysterious blonde woman who had shown them so much hospitality might know about Tenten increasing by the minute.

All she could so was get answers. This is why she rose so early. She wanted to speak with this woman alone, because if she was as legendary as Jiraiya the Sage let on, then maybe she had some type of cure for Itachi's eyesight. And maybe she had answers about that book that he had.

After only a few peaceful moments to ponder her thoughts, Tenten began washing up, the dirt, grime and dried blood from before coming clean in the water. After she was sure everything had been removed, she stood slowly as the water drained before washing her hair in the spicket of the tub and rinsing her body free of any remaining suds. She wrapped a clean towel around her body and emerged from the washroom silently.

She knelt down to the chest of drawers by the bedside, and slowly opened a drawer to find some fresh clothing.

At this, Itachi's eyes snapped open and he let out a groggy groan. "Why are you up so early?" He whispered, assuming it was early by how exhausted he felt, not able to truly judge exactly.

Tenten frowned to herself. "I'm just going to talk to Lady Tsunade, and thank her for letting us stay in such a nice room." It wasn't a total lie, it just wasn't the complete truth.

"Hm." He frowned, displeased as he sat up in the bed and turned his head in the direction of her voice. "What shall I do?"

"Go back to sleep, silly." She giggled softly and dropped her towel, partially thankful that although he was looking right at her, he couldn't see her. Any other man would've devoured her. But it seemed as though he knew that she was totally exposed to him because he crawled to the ledge of the bed and swung his legs over. Sitting right beside her.

She held her breath once more, this time feeling hot, and a little vulnerable standing there. Tenten watched him extend his arms in front of him, slowly and hesitantly, in search of her body, and finally his arm wandered to his left, brushing up against her bare stomach.

His dark eyes widened with realization that she was completely naked but his desire for her had been peaked earlier before she rose. "I'll come with you," He husked as the palms of his hands traced the outside of her hips slowly, teasingly.

Tenten shuddered, blushing wildly at his hunger for her. She gulped, not wanting to say no to him, but desperate to talk to Tsunade she was torn. Torn up until the moment that his strong hands gripped her breasts and she felt his hot kisses trail low on her abdomen.

* * *

"Ah, good morning to the love birds!" The hearty woman's voice welcomed as Tenten and Itachi entered into the main cottage that they assumed to be Tsunade's home. It was evident more than ever what the two had been up to. They were practically glowing.

Tenten smiled fondly at the blonde woman who stood at the bar wiping it down and linked arms with Itachi. The home was so much quieter than it had been last night, and Tsunade seemed to be the only one up at such an early hour. Tenten deducted that it was probably due to the fact that most of the other guests must've been hung over.

Together they approached the bar and stopped in front of it. "Morning Lady Tsunade." Tenten smiled gratefully at the woman with sincerity in her chocolate colored orbs.

"It's much appreciated." Itachi added, bowing his head curtly.

Honey eyes looked at the lovely couple with a heavy yet happy heart. The young lovers reminded her so much of she and a certain someone when they were young, these two would certainly make great leaders one day, without a doubt.

"I wanted to speak to you about a few things," Tenten started.

"As I'm sure you did." Tsunade replied with a smile. "I can assure you that there won't be anyone up for some time, so we have a few hours to kill. I expected you would come."

Tenten pulled out a bar stool for Itachi and made sure he was sitting steadily before taking her own seat and looking at Tsunade with hopeful yet curious eyes. "Do you mind explaining to me why you acted as though you knew me when we first met last night as we were arriving?" She cut to the chase, didn't want to waist time. This had been weighing on her mind ever since it occurred.

Tsunade too, took a seat across from the pair and looked directly into Tenten's eyes, almost as though she were gazing deep into her young and eager soul. "I'll tell you precicely why, dear Tenten." She said seriously "Because I was a friend of your father and mother's, and the day you were born the whole kingdom shook. I knew that you were a special being the moment I laid eyes on you."

Tenten gulped silently, taking in the strange and foreboding words that this woman was speaking. She nodded her brown head, telling Tsunade to continue.

"You may not believe in this type of thing, but I can see the future. I warned your father of all of these things that have happened to you. Your marriage, death, and revival. Those things, Tenten, are minuscule compaired to what you are about to withstand. You are the key to stopping Orochimaru, and taking the kingdom back."


	20. Chapter 20

Hi.. Sorry for the delay.. Even more sorry that this one's a shorty! I'm sorry!

_"So open your eyes and see The way our horizons meet And all of the lights will lead Into the night with me And I know these scars will bleed But both of our hearts believe All of these stars will guide us home"_

I DO NOT OWN NARUTO

AU

Chapter 20: Love Oneself

* * *

Tenten stared at the blonde woman in front of her with bewildered, and unsure eyes that told how disbelieving and untrusting she was. How could she, just a mere young woman, who was hardly to be considered royalty be the key to defeating the most powerful man in all the land? It sounded absurd, and certainly it had to be some type of mistake.

Itachi was at the time unsure what to think of it, but be didn't doubt for a moment. If this girl could break the curse on him that freed his aching and lonely heart, and restored his vision if only momentarily, what other greatness did she have in store?

Tsunade could see the doubt in the young girl's eyes and she let out a heavy and exasperated sigh. "Must I prove it to you?"

"You may have to, because right now I'm not really all that convinced, my Lady." Tenten admitted honestly before glancing at Itachi and squeezing his hand lightly.

Tsunade was reluctant to do so, but she held up a finger to the girl and frowned deeply. "Wait here." She instructed firmly before disappearing down the hallway to their left.

What was Tenten to do? Or say? The key to stopping the Dark Lord? _There's no way! Surely this must be some type of mistake._ Her mind was spinning, she was unable to get ahold of her thoughts, feeling rather dizzy.

Itachi felt her body shudder slightly, and he felt the palm of her hand grow increasingly sweaty. He could hear her breathing hitch, and every now and again she would let out an anxious sigh. This type of news wasn't a casual encouragement telling them they would be able to take back the kingdom no problem. Instead, a fortune telling bar hostess had given her some type of strange prophecy.

He couldn't imagine the heavy weight that had been abruptly dumped upon her petite shoulders, it was something that came rather unexpectedly for both of them. "It'll be alright, Tenten." Itachi assured softly, bringing her hand that was clutching his tightly to his lips.

Tenten was astonished at how intuitive her new husband was. He was unable to see her worried and tormented expression, but that didn't stop him from knowing that this was clearly having a negative affect on her.

Shortly after Itachi had kissed the outside of Tenten's hand, Tsunade returned to the bar with a book in her hands. And it was not just any book, it had been the book she had seen at the Sage's house. How on earth did his book get here? It had been the same book that Jiraiya had very strictly warned her about, and she had left it there. Hadn't she?

"That..."

"This book is the on that old pervert told you not to open, correct?" Tsunade inquired as she raised her eyebrows and gave Tenten a knowing and almost motherly smile.

"Yes, b-but why did he warn me about it? Why didn't he want me to open it?"

Tsunade drew a small breath before releasing a spurt of hearty laughter. "He didn't want you to open it because he's afraid of magic, and be doesn't know how to use it."

Tenten blinked her chocolate eyes and looked at her silent partner. He seemed to be rather deep in thought. Certainly magic existed. She had seen it with her own eyes ion more than one occasion. But it was going to take a lot more than Tsunade knowing that Tenten had been very intrigued by that book for Tenten to believe she was some type of savior.

Almost as if the Legendary woman had read Tenten's mind, she gave the girl a reassuring wink."It'll take a little time for that to sink in, sweetie. But I promise you, you've got more power inside of you than you're gonna know what to do with."

"Power?" This was beginning to sound like some old wives tale, Tenten couldn't be sure what was fact and what was fiction.

"Yes, you'll start your lessons this evening."

* * *

Sasuke sat at the bar in the tavern beside his brother, studying his tormented features carefully and noticing that something seemed off, he couldn't place it. Itachi's shoulders slumped a little as he leaned on the bar with his elbows. His face downward and a few strands of his long dark hair had fallen down into his face, and the ends had coiled into small circles on the surface of the bar.

They had been here for two weeks now, with little to no improvement. They had all been training relentlessly, planing their revenge, rallying stragglers that had been whisked away from the kingdom with the curse and doing their best to stay encouraged. Sasuke knew that Itachi felt rather helpless, lost and a little bit worthless.

Sasuke's thoughts about Itachi was feeling were spot on and deadly accurate. What could he do to help, how was he to overcome the blindness and fight for his Kingdom? He couldn't fight, he'd be slain immediately because of his lack of vision. His heart sank, feeling more than guilty about the situation. He desperately wanted to do his part and more, after all if they did reclaim the Kingdom, he was to be King. What kind of King stands back and does nothing? A coward, a pitiful worm, disgusting and worthless. If anyone deserved to have the Kingdom it was Sasuke. His younger brother had been putting so much effort into growing stronger, and avenging their parents. It should be him.

His slender fingers gently brushed against the cool glass of whiskey they had been placed in front of him, and slowly he took it and he drank. Even Tenten bad been working diligently to learn how to use magic and defeat the bastard that had taken everything away from them. What was Itachi? Dead weight.

"Itachi, what's wrong?" Sasuke asked of his brother as he had grown tired of looking at his brother in such a sad and sunken state. Itachi wasn't like this usually, he tried to remain positive, and he always had a good word to say, but things had begun to change with him, and Sasuke didn't like it much at all. He was growing rather concerned for his brother.

Itachi raised his head and turned it in the direction of his brother's voice. He blinked his blackened eyes before ordering another drink. "What is there that I can do, that needs to be done? Nothing. I can't contribute to the cause that we are both so desperately after."

"You're setting limitations on yourself, you alone are doing that. No one else told you that you couldn't. You still just don't believe in yourself." Sasuke frowned, he had the inclination that that may be what was bothering Itachi. Both boys were raised to be prideful, and to work hard no matter the cost. His brother had overcome many adversities, and this was just one more demon he was going to have to face. "No one else feels that way about you, especially Tenten."

* * *

Tenten had followed Tsunade through the woods every day for two weeks straight, aimlessly. The woman had yet to teach her one single thing and it was beginning to drive Tenten mad. She had to tell anyone who asked how her training went that it was Great, and she had learned so much, but she and her teacher had barley exchanged words.

Finally, as she trudged through the woods behind the taverness, she let out an exasperated cry. "Are you planning to teach me anything!? Or are we just going to walk around?!"

"I don't need to teach you anything. Besides, if I thought you were ready, I would've told you what it is you need to know by now." The busty woman's voice paused. "But you're not."

Tenten had had enough. She stopped walking and took a seat on a nearby stump. "Fine, maybe you're right! I don't believe you. There's no way I can defeat that man, My Lady!" She felt a lump growing in her tightening throat and tears began to well up in her quaking earthy colored eyes.

Tsunade turned to face the young girl with a soft expression as something strange flashed in her honey colored eyes. "You're right." She admitted, walking up to Tenten and kneeling down to face her. She rested her hands on the girl's shoulders and smiled softly. "I said you were the key, remember? That doesn't mean you're the one to stop him."

"No, I think you did tell me that I would stop him, and that I was the only one who could!"

"I should correct myself then, completely. I'll leave nothing out. This is the whole truth Tenten. You have been desperately searching for something that will bring back Itachi's eyesight, correct?" Tsunade asked, straightening out her gray tunic before scooting the young girl over and taking a seat behind her.

"Yes.." Tenten said, almost in an inquisitive tone. She looked the busty woman up and down, wondering just what on earth was going on in that blonde head of hers. She had at this point, deducted she was dealing with a crazy person.

"Itachi will never see again, and you three will never take the Kingdom back until he learns to love himself." She informed, looking at Tenten firmly. "You're the only one in this world who can do that."

"So really, Itachi is the only one who can defeat Orochimaru? Wouldn't it be wise to tell him this?" Tenten asked, heart fluttering a bit while at the same time feeling so much pressure being lifted off of her shoulders.

"No, not yet. He will find out, when he realizes who he really is."

* * *

So now, Tenten set out on her very own mission. She had to help Itachi see his value and his worth, she had to make him feel so loved and accepted so that he could in turn, love and accept himself. She didn't quite understand why Tsunade had lied to her in the first place, but she supposed Tsunade could see the bigger picture, Tenten was merely seeing a few of the pieces.

She made her way into the tavern where she assumed Sasuke and Itachi would be talking together, and she was right. They had both been sitting at the bar, but they weren't talking. It seemed as though an awkward silence had befallen atop them and neither one was speaking.

Itachi was swirling his long, index finger around the rim of his glass of liquor, while Sasuke's onyx eyes pierced the empty bottom of his own glass. _Something must've happened between them. _Tenten thought to herself as she slowly approached the pair.

"Hey you two." She said softly as she stood directly behind their bar stools and gently placed a hand on each of their backs.

Both brothers gave her genuine smiles, thankful for her presence that had broken the deafening silence. "Hello, Tenten." Itachi replied.

Sasuke didn't say anything in response. He simply nodded to her, earning him a nod in return.

"How are you two, the air seems a little thick.." She hinted at the tension that was radiating from them.

"Everything is fine, Tenten." Itachi lied, smiling faintly in her direction.

Tenten found herself curious as to how much either of them had had to drink, both boys had cheeks that were much more rosy than normal. She turned her gaze to Sasuke in hopes that he may give her more insight than what Itachi had, but instead he gave her less.

"Goodnight, Tenten." Sasuke hopped down from his barstool and placed a soft, warm kiss on her cheek before patting his brother's back. "Goodnight, Nisan."

"Goodnight, Sasuke." Itachi replied before hopping down from his barstool as well, thankful he hadn't tripped over anyone's feet. He felt Tenten's warm hand wrap around his and she raised it to her soft and luscious lips, kissing it softly.

She gazed upon him, his hand still firmly pressed up against her lips as she held it there. This was a man she had truly grown fond of, she had given him her entire heart. Just looking at him made her heart leap out of her chest. He was dangerously handsome, absolutely charming and witty. Tenten couldn't understand why Itachi didn't realize how wonderful he was. Was his lack of eyesight really that detrimental to his self confidence. She supposed she could understand and relate, and she couldn't blame him. She had never once been in his shoes, so she had no right to question why he felt the way he did. She simply needed to get him to change his mind.

* * *

They had gotten back into the small little cottage they had learned to call home shortly after Sasuke had left the tavern. Tenten never asked Itachi again what had happened between the two, she figured that if he wanted to tell her he would, she'd already asked once, and he had his reasons for not telling her. Both of them let out tired sighs as they walked into the warm and cozy room.

Tenten watched Itschi wander to the bathroom by himself, he was extremely talented at remembering the set up of the home, and it was almost like an art form watching him recall where something was just before he toppled into it, and stepping to the side. He was removing his shirt as he walked through the doorway of the bathroom.

She wanted to follow, and make sure he was okay, but it irritated him when she did so because he could take care of himself. She heard the water to the bathtub begin to fill, and slowly she walked toward the bathroom, stopping in the doorway and leaning against it.

Itachi was leaning over the tub, his hand feeling the temperature of the water before placing the stopper in the button so the water would not escape and he stood slowly, taking his hair down and then slowly beginning to remove his pants. "Are you enjoying the view?" He smirked, knowing she was there watching him. He could hear the girl a mile away, even though she probably thought she had been relatively silent.

Tenten blushed and giggled softly, so what if I am, I'm allowed to, right?" She inquired playfully. "Do you mind if I.. If I join you?" She asked shyly.

Itachi didn't hesitate to motion with his hand for her to come in. So she slowly made her way into the bathroom with him, and gasped quietly when she felt his hands on her hips. This was also something he was getting increasingly good at. Knowing exactly where she was, and the proportions of her body compared to his. He could point to nah part of her body easily. He slowly began to lift the scratchy tunic off if her body and discarded it to the side before be removed her pants and undergarments.

Tenten shivered under his touch, but was about to say something about the water to the tub but he had beaten her to the nozzle and turned it off before the water spilled over. She looked at him with large and amazed eyes. He was simply incredible. She didn't think she would be able to function properly without the use of her eyes, but Itachi... He was amazing.

"You're something else." She whispered through trembling lips.


	21. Chapter 21

Hi! I'm sorry for the delay, that darn External Affairs has me wrapped up! I'm so sorry! I love you! Forgive me!

_"You look so beautiful in your dress, I love your hair like that. The way it falls on the side of our neck, down your shoulders and back." _

I DO NOT OWN NARUTO

AU

The Blind Prince

Chapter 21: Faith

* * *

Tenten tried to keep herself from blushing furiously, her eyes averted elsewhere for a moment while Itachi climbed into the water and settled in. She could hear a quiet sigh escape his lips as the hot water engulfed the majority of his muscular body and the tension within those muscles melted away.

She could almost feel a burning sensation upon her bare skin, like his eyes though they could see nothing, were roaming her body, but she knew better. Though she was going to try her absolute hardest to change that, no matter the cost. She wasn't sure how she would go about it, how does one show another their self worth. Just how valuable, strong, intelligent, and important he really was. How magnificent the creature that her eyes were suddenly drinking up in a moment of sweet indulgence.

"Are you planning on standing there all night or do you plan on joining me, Tenten?" He inquired, raising his dark head slightly as if to question her location. The water felt nice on his skin, but his heart felt a sharp ache that could only be soothed by that woman, the stubborn girl who held that delicate thumping thing in her hands. He heard her bare feet shuffle across the cool floors and the water slightly rippled, tiny waves reaching his chest. She was dabbing her toes in, on one foot.

Tenten lowered one slender leg into the tub, finding her footing beside one of Itachi's legs on the opposite end that he sat. Soon, her foot was tingling at the warmness of the water, it was a little hot but it would cool, it only meant they could stay there longer. Her other foot entered into the water and she lowered herself in, making room for her body to sit by moving his legs. The water covered her body, the tub being rather large, all the way up to her shoulderblades. Her chocolate tresses floating behind her. It was nervracking and exciting being in his presence like that.

Small beads of perspiration caused the skin of his forehead to glisten a bit and he leaned his head back, resting it on the edge of the tub and letting out a low groan coming from deep within the back of his throat. The skin of his neck exposed and glistening as well. His masculine features illuminated by the dim light in the bathroom, bouncing off the water and reflecting onto his fair and defined skin.

His chest rose and fell as a sigh escaped his lips and his dark eyes fluttered closed, relaxing his body further into the water. He brought both arms up and rested them on the edge of the tub.

Tenten was completely entranced by his mesmerizing beauty. Yes, beauty. The creature before her was nothing less than magnificent and absoutely breath taking. His silky black hair that snaked down his neck and shoulders, the ends floating in the clear, hot water around him. The features of his glorious face were so well defined, he was certainly worthy of his royal title. As she admired him from the opposite end of the tub, she felt a distinct pulling feeling in the pit of her stomach that gradually created a hot feeling between her thighs, and she gulpped. Blushing furiously, she quickly turned her head away from him. Her eyes averting elsewhere, studying the different fixtures in the bathroom and its decor.

And that's the same moment that she felt his finger tips trail up the smooth, bare skin of her legs on both of her shins. They lingered there for a painfully slow amount of time, drawing tiny and intricate circles there as he continued to sit poised in his relaxed position. Then, out of the blue his hands gripped onto both of her shins tightly, and he yanked her legs downward, causing her bum to slide across the porcelain tub until the poor girl was nearly in his lap. She had to bend her knees a bit to prevent from stopping the fluid movement.

It was like he sensed the way she was feeling, and she was not the only one. He was resisting the urge to touch her. Wanting to share a moment of silence, and relaxation with her, but he couldn't. He could hear her breathing, feel her tiny feet tickling the tops of his elbows and he could only imagine how beautiful she must've looked. Naked and vulnerable, but just the thought of it sent his mind reeling. So he had to have her, he pulled her body to him and moved his own toward the middle of the tub to give her slender legs room to comfortably stretch out a bit. Her curvaceous derrière rested comfortably atop both of his muscular thighs, and her hands both sat delicately on the inside of his arms, her fingertips trailing along his skin that was slowly raising at her touch.

Her heart began to flutter in her chest, and excitment bubbled up within her abdomen as she inched her body closer to his, craning her neck until her lips were close enough to brush the skin of his neck. Her soft pink lips collided with his neck in a feather-like brush. She felt him shudder under her touch as the palms of his hands ran down her bare back and trailed downward until they rested at the small of her back. She felt him push on her back with enough pressure to cause her to scoot further into his lap and her eyes widened significantly when her body brushed against his.

But she didn't want to give in just yet. This man desperately needed to know how she felt about him, so he could learn to love himself. Her hands snaked up his chest, lips still kissing his neck, and found their way to his thick tresses, sender fingers combing through it and his head tilted backward.

He could feel her voluptuous bosom pressed firmly against his chest, and her hot breath coiling up in his ear before her teeth bit down gently upon his ear lobe and her hips ground against his quite gently. This caused him to bite his lower lips and flicker his eyes open, disappointed he could not see her beautiful form.

"I love you," She husked in his ear before gently whisking his hair away from his neck further, continuing her handiwork there with her succulent lips until she felt his firm hands cup her face, yanking her away from his neck and they were face to face. His thumbs gently grazed those lips surface before he affirmed his love for her by pressing his firmly against hers with furious passion that could never be quenched.

Her lips parted slightly, as the kiss slowly intensified, his hands sliding down from her face to her neck and the tops of her shoulders and she couldn't help but tilt her head back a little. His kiss was dizzying, intoxicating. The way he made her feel sent her mind and body into oblivion and extacy, like she'd spent too much time at the tavern. Her hands found his hair once more, and they entangled into it, tugging it gently as a moan escaped his throat and eccoed into hers.

Itachi's hands slowly snaked from her shoulders, down her chest as they delicately grazed her aching breasts, only lingering there a moment berofe they gripped her waist, using the muscles in his arms to raise her up slightly, moving her body slightly to position her correctly.

Her lips separated from his and she sucked in a deep breath of air and her earthen eyes flung open as she felt their bodies connect, and instinctually she tugged his hair as he lowered her down. Her heart rate accelerated and she crashed her upper body into his into a tight embrace as his fingers delicately ran through the length of her hair until the water had engulfed the ends of it. She wanted to assure him of her love, desperate to show him she pulled back and captured his lips with hers, gently running the tip of her tongue along his lower lip until she felt him buck his hips slightly. This caused her to pull away, as her back arched involuntarily and a deep groan escaped her lips.

His fingertips traced the curve of her hips, up her rib cage causing her to shudder, until they found her breasts and he generously fondled them before he yanked her close to him again, forcing those succulent lips to his.

'**_All of these voices surrounding us here, just fade out when you take a breath...'_**

* * *

Once they had dried off, the pair of lovers had snuggled up into their bed together, both still completely naked and vulnerable together. Tenten scooted close to her husband, her heart beat finally slowing as her body recovered from what had just occurred between them in the bathtub. Her head nuzzled into his chest softly, and she felt his hand rest upon the back of it as she did so.

"Itachi," She whispered quietly, feeling his other arm hook around her waist and draw her closer to his body for warmth.

"Hm?" Was his low response, he was already close to drifting to sleep, his head was cradled so comfortably into the plush pillow, the comfortor had been so warm and her dainty body next to his was all he needed at the moment. All he wanted.

"I love you," She said softly, her face now nuzzling the crook of his neck. "You know that?"

"Mhm." He responded as he gently stroked her damp curls. His dark eyes fluttered closed, nothing changing. Still engulfed in darkness as he desperately searched for a picture of her in his mind. He feared that her memory, the memory of her beauty was slipping away from him. His heart suddenly sank, low within his chest and a lump grew in his chest. Aside from that, if Tenten was to be the one to defeat the Dark Lord, would she be okay? He knew he may never actually see her physically, but to never be with her again would be worse. Tenten belonged to him. He could not stomach anything happening to her, not even a scratch. He'd lost her once, he couldn't stand to loose her again. Certainly there had to be an alternative. She could not be the one to defeat Orochimaru. She simply couldn't. Perhaps they didn't have to defeat him, perhaps his pride was the only thing urging him to reclaim the Kingdom?

Tenten felt his body tense, he wasn't relaxed anylonger, he seemed to be in thought. Obviously whatever he was thinking of, was troubling him greatly. "Is something bothering you, Itachi?" She asked as her fingertips delicately danced upon the bare skin of his chest.

His eyes opened and he frowned deeply, his arm around her retreating and tucked itself behind his head as he contemplated. "What if we just stayed here, Tenten?" He asked lowly, "Forgot about the Kingdom, and lived out our days here together?"

Tenten propped her body up upon her elbow that dug into the comfortable and plush matress and she looked at him with a wasted inquisitive look. "What are you talking about, Itachi?" She asked, trying not to sound as concerned and confused as she felt. This was odd for him to say, he was to be king. Had he really felt that terrible about himself? Was he afraid to take the throne? He didn't even know he was the one to defeat the Dark Lord yet.

"Tenten, I can't let you go against that man. Not when I know what he's capable of. He's harmed you once before, I can't let that happen again. We are staying here." He finally said, resolving the issues in his mind and heart. This seemed like the best solution. Of course his younger brother was not going to be pleased in the least, but eventually he could live with it.

"Itachi, don't talk like that. Nothing is going to happen to me." Tenten assured as she gently placed a hand upon his cheek.

Now it was his turn to sit up, his face turned in the direction of her voice and his expression was stern and unmoving. "Tenten, he killed you once what makes you think he won't do that again?!" His voice started to raise, anger becoming more and more evident. Simply because his love for her was so deep, he couldn't lose her again. Should Tenten face the Dark Lord, Itachi just knew she wouldn't make it out alive, magic or not.

"Don't be selfish," Tenten started, frowning deeply and recalling Tsunade's warning for her not to tell him the truth just yet. "All the people still living in Konoha are suffering under his reign, we have to stop him!"

"I will not allow you to!" His voice boomed deep within his chest, echoing and shattering the peace that had once blanketed the room.

Her chocolate eyes widened and quaked with fear, she hadn't really heard him speak so firmly, or yell at her like that. Only once when he told her to leave his palace after bringing up a sore subject. What was she to do? She herself was growing angry with his behavior, and desperate to put a stop to it.

"I don't care what I have to do to stop you, Tenten! But I will, whatever it takes. I'll tie you up, I'll lock you in a tower! I cannot lose you!" He said as he gripped her arm tightly.

Tenten yanked her arm away from his painful grip and pushed hard on his chest, causing him to lay back on the bed and she straddled him in an angry rage. She glared down at him, not caring that he coldn't see her. She'd been pushed over the edge. She wasn't a woman who was so easilly pushed over, and she'd had enough of his moping. He was about t learn the truth, like it or not. Her hands gripped his shoulders firmly, her dark hair tickling the skin of his chest as she stared intensely down at him and his bewildered form. "It's not me! It's not me who has to defeat Orochimaru, Itachi! It's you!" She huffed, chest rising and falling rapidly in a pant.

He blinked his dark eyes in confusion, his hardened expression softened in perplexity. He wanted to raise a question, but hadn't the words just yet. He could feel the anger pouring from her body and directly into his. She was hot, fuming and her grip on his shoulders only intensified.

"It's been you all this time! You just aren't able to look past what you think is holding you back! Your weakness can be your greatest strength, but only if you let it Itachi!" She exclaimed, now unable to control the angry and passionate tears that flowed from her eyes. "I don't understand how you can't come to grips with it, how wonderful and amazing you actually are!"

His heart clenched tightly inside of his chest, his breathing stopped as he felt hot droplets of water hit his neck, and roll down. She was crying. Passionate about him and how she felt about him. She meant it, the things she was spewing on about. "A-amazing?"

"Magnificent." She said lowly, trying not to choke. "You have to look within yourself, I can't convince you! I can only tell you how much I love you!" She grew weak, her body growing limp, she rested her forehead against his, tears still falling from her chocolate eyes.

He felt his face grow damp from the tears that would't stop falling, and his heart continued to turn inside of his chest. He blinked, her salty tears filling his own eyes after rolling down his cheeks and over the tops of his bottom eyelid and catching in his long lashes. "Tenten I.." He choked out, his body beginning to tremble lightly as something blurred in front of his eyes.

He continued to blink, catching the slight glimps of a silhouette slumped over him.

He blinked once more, chocolate and auburn curls engulfing his peripheral vision.

He blinked again, a fagile, broken face hovering over his own. There she was, she was there, in his sights. Had she done it yet again? Was this a dream, was it a recollection of her? The curse had been been broken, and he had to sacrifice that for her life. It had been sealed, his fate had it not? He had come to terms with never seeing her face again, yet here she was. Sobbing over top of him. Her face just as beautiful as ever, though it was painfully contorted and tears rushed down from her eyes so full of life and passion.

"Tenten.."

"Why can't you see it?" She whispered quietly in a broken and sorrowful voice that cut straight to his heart.

Itachi placed his hands firmly on her shoulders and pushed her upward until she was sitting up and he sat up with her. "I can."

"You can what!?"

"I _can_ see, Tenten! I can see it, I can see you." His excited voice leapt.

Her eyes widened and scanned his face frightfully, excitedly and for that moment she swore that her heart was not beating inside of her chest. "What?" She mumbled through parted and bewildered lips that shook.

"You are so beautiul." He whispered in response as his hands cupped her face, encircling it softly and his eyes drank her every detail in. Her dark, thin brows that framed her large and wonder-filled eyes. Her round cheeks, reddened from her emotions and her adorable nose. Her body was trembling, and unclothed, her hair acting as a covering for her. Curls cascaded down her bare skin, beautifully contrasting against one another. "I don't know how you do it.." He whispered against her lips.

Tenten was in shock, she couldn't believe it. Surely she hadn't been that convincing? She had only thrown a small tantrum, it was an angry outburst. An outburst that caused him to see yet again? Was her anger her super-power? She felt his lips brush against hers so softly, it melted her. "It worked?"

"You always manage to bring me back, Tenten. I should put more faith in you." He said before capturing her lips with his once more...

**_'You look so beautiful in this light, your sihouette over me...' _**


End file.
